Moscow- Russian officials have criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's recent comments in which he suggested that Moscow was becoming subservient to China.

They argued that Western countries must accept the close ties between Russia and China that underpin the world.

Macron's comments were made in an interview with the Paris daily l'Opinion, in which he expressed concern about the isolation of the Kremlin following its invasion of Ukraine over a year ago.

French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted as saying that Russia has effectively become subservient to China and has lost access to the Baltic, which was previously critical to Moscow's strategic interests.

Macron suggested that this has led to Sweden and Finland's decision to join NATO, something that was previously unthinkable.

The controversy seems to be centered around a meeting in Moscow in March between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which they announced the deepening of their strategic partnership and the beginning of a "new era" of ties between the two countries.

According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Russia's relationship with China is one of a strategic partnership and not one of dependence.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has suggested that France has become overly preoccupied with Moscow's strengthened ties with China and the implications this has for the global order.

In a statement on the ministry's website, Grushko argued that the West is fearful of a truly multilateral system of international relations emerging, one that includes multiple independent centers, particularly Russia and China.

He believes that leaders like Emmanuel Macron will have to come to terms with the reality of strong, equitable, and mutually respectful relations between Moscow and Beijing within this evolving global landscape.