France warns of serious consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

France worried about the build-up of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine, said Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who warned the Kremlin against the invasion, reports bloomberg.

Raptor patrol boats take part in amphibious landing exercises conducted by army corps and naval infantry units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet at the Opuk training ground in Crimea on October 18. Photographer: Sergey Malhavko / TASS / Getty Images

"Any violation of the border, any invasion will have extremely serious consequences," Le Drian said in an interview with RTL radio on Sunday.

In recent weeks, the United States has warned its European allies that Russia may be planning a repeat invasion of Ukraine in 2014, citing a new concentration of tanks and troops along the border. The Kremlin denies any aggressive intentions.

Le Drian said that it is important to find "a way to work together", even though the "authoritarian" tendencies of President Vladimir Putin have become more noticeable in recent months. Instead, Russia should use its influence to help resolve the deepening crisis in Belarus, he said.

"Now is the time for Russia to put pressure on," Le Drian said, adding that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko risks creating a humanitarian catastrophe.

"This is a real crisis with fake migrants," he said.