Russia's Elections Commission said that the pro-Kremlin United Russia part had won local elections in four regions of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, in a vote dismissed by Kyiv.
Germany, the U.K., Spain, Poland and NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were among those denying that sending ground troops into Ukraine was an option.
The Kremlin had warned earlier Tuesday that such a move would lead to an "inevitable" conflict between NATO and Russia.
Since then, state-run Russian media has been dominated by Russian officials relishing the obvious division in NATO, and Macron's apparent misreading of the NATO mood music.
She claimed NATO countries' denials that they planned to send their ground troops into Ukraine showed the West had "betrayed Ukraine and will continue to use and betray it," repeating Moscow's baseless claims that Western countries are using Ukraine to destroy Russia.
Persons:
Alexander NEMENOV, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Emmanuel Macron, Jens Stoltenberg, Macron, Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Maria Zakharova, — Holly Ellyatt
Organizations:
Commission, Kremlin, Kyiv, Getty Images, NATO, NATO's, Foreign Ministry, Ukraine —, Russian Foreign, Sputnik, Tass
Locations:
St, Basil's, Moscow, Russia's, Kremlin United Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Germany, Spain, Poland, Russia, NATO, Russian