Paris will make every possible effort in order to prevent a conflict between the United States and Russia, former French Prime Minister and presidential candidate Francois said on Tuesday in an interview with the France 2 TV channel.

When asked what he would say if he were to meet with US President Donald Trump, Fillon answered that "in the first place, I would say that France will pursue an independent foreign policy aimed at avoiding wars and will make every possible effort in order to prevent an armed conflict between the United States and Russia."

Fillon added that "our common enemy is Islamic terrorism which has spread because of the United States’ mistakes, particularly as a result of the Iraq war.".