PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned Thursday that Vladimir Putin is “mendacity” about his want to peacefully finish the battle in Ukraine, pointing to the Kremlin’s large assault on Kyiv earlier within the day that left at the very least eight individuals lifeless.
“Putin should cease mendacity ultimately,” a visibly impassioned Macron mentioned of the Russian president, chatting with reporters whereas on a go to to Madagascar. “He continues to bomb Ukraine, he continues to kill individuals in Ukraine.”
Macron’s feedback come at a make-or-break second for the American-led efforts to carry a couple of peaceable settlement to cease the preventing. The deal Washington has proposed contains potential territorial concessions, together with recognizing Crimea — which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014 — as Russian territory.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday posted exasperatedly about Ukraine’s hesitance to just accept that demand and criticized Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Macron, nonetheless, mentioned Trump’s ire needs to be aimed squarely at Putin.
“There may be an aggressor, Russia, and there’s a sufferer, Ukraine,” Macron mentioned. “American frustration needs to be directed at just one individual: President Putin.”
Whereas Trump has been significantly important of Zelenskyy, he mentioned he was “not joyful” with Putin after Thursday’s lethal assault on the Ukrainian capital.
“Not vital, and really unhealthy timing,” Trump wrote in a submit on Fact Social. “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 troopers every week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Veronika Melkozerova, Giorgio Leali and Elena Giordiano contributed to this report.