"We are at war against neither Russia nor the Russian people," Macron said during a televised press conference in Paris.
"Neither do we have an approach that aims to change the regime in Moscow," the French president added.
Macron reaffirmed France's commitment to supporting Ukraine as long as needed and achieving a "just and lasting" peace that would respect Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Macron also assured Xi that Paris respected historic ties between Moscow and Beijing and thanked the Chinese leader for the opportunity to coordinate their policies ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China in May.
In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced Macron’s statement as “very dangerous.” Moscow is closely monitoring statements from Paris about such a possibility, the Peskov said, adding that France continues to constantly talk about the possibility of its direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine.