The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has recently said that he has invited his French counterpart to visit Ukraine to see evidence that Russian forces have committed “genocide,” a term President Emmanuel Macron has avoided.
“I talked to him yesterday,” Zelensky told CNN in an interview broadcast on Sunday.
“I just told him I want him to understand that this is not war, but nothing other than genocide. I invited him to come when he will have the opportunity. He’ll come and see, and I’m sure he will understand.” Zalensky added.
Zelensky had also thought US President Joe Biden would come at some point, though White House officials have said there are no such plans to do so.
The term “genocide” is also now used by Joe Biden, regarding the war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president has also said earlier that the President of France Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to use the designation was very painful for them.
The President of France is in the heat of an election campaign, with a second-round vote against far-right politician Marine Le Pen set for next Sunday.
He told France’s Radio Bleu on Thursday that it was not helpful to Ukraine “to enter into verbal escalations without drawing all of the conclusions.” “The word ‘genocide’ has a meaning” and “needs to be characterized legally, not by politicians.”
It is also mentioned that a growing list of European leaders have made their way to Kyiv in shows of support, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. After Johnson visited the devastated Ukrainian town of Bucha he said evidence of a massacre by Russian troops “doesn’t look far short of genocide to me.”