“Fundamentally, these deliveries cannot and will not change anything... (they) can only prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov

The Kremlin said on Monday that moves by France and other Western countries to supply Ukraine with weapons, including light tanks, would only make their lives more difficult.

“Fundamentally, these deliveries cannot and will not change anything… they can only prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to a question about France's decision to send armoured vehicles to Ukraine last week.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to send light tanks to Kyiv.

The decision to supply Ukraine with the French-made AMX-10 RC – a light model in service since the 1980s – would make France the first Western country to send tanks to Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin and Macron are still in contact.

According to Peskov, the leaders' communication has been “very useful, despite deep differences.”

Following Macron's pledge to send tanks to Kyiv, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced renewed calls to do the same.