Volodymyr Zelensky “will be among his partners”, supporters of Ukraine in the war between it and Russia, added the former President of the Republic on Wednesday on France Bleu Normandie.
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On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings, François Hollande discusses the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky at the international ceremony, at Omaha Beach (Calvados). “For him, it is very important symbolically to show that Ukraine is invited, that it is the object of international support”, declared Wednesday June 5 the former head of state, guest of France Bleu Normandie. He emphasizes that the Ukrainian president has “need” help.
In all, around twenty heads of state and government are invited to this ceremony, including the President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. Volodymyr Zelensky “will be among his partners”, support for Ukraine in the war between it and Russia, notes François Hollande. On this occasion, “there are dialogues that can be done directly”he points out, even if the Ukrainian president “has already had many contacts”.
The former tenant of the Élysée does not regret that Russia is excluded from the ceremonies. For him, “it was impossible to invite a Russian president [Vladimir Poutine] who has just committed, two years ago, an act of violation of international law and who is under international sanctions”. However, he had invited him to the commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings, in 2014, despite the annexation of Crimea three months earlier.
“At that moment, a prospect of negotiation could open up”, justifies Emmanuel Macron’s predecessor. On the other hand, Vladimir Putin “had raised a question regarding the recognition of the election of the Ukrainian president. Force him to come and put him in front of the newly elected Ukrainian president [Petro Porochenko] had a diplomatic interest.
That no Russian representative be invited to the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings “does not say anything about the recognition that we could have towards the Russian people, during the Soviet era”, warns François Hollande. At the time, these people “contributed to the liberation of France with the sacrifice of many of its soldiers”he recalls.