France to send envoy to Putin's inauguration - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
France will send its ambassador to Putin's inauguration for another six-year term, media reports say.
France will send an envoy to the "inauguration" of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia for his next six-year term on Tuesday, a French diplomatic source cited by Reuters reported Monday, indicating that this will be in contrast to Germany, which said it would not, UNN reported.
Details
The newspaper points out that Paris' decision "indicates a potential split in the Western camp with several countries, including the Baltic states," strongly opposed to granting Putin any form of legitimacy after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. Western governments condemned Putin's re-election in March as unfair and undemocratic.
"France will be represented by its ambassador to Russia," a French diplomatic source said.
The source noted that Paris has previously condemned the context of repression in which the elections were held, depriving voters of a real choice, as well as the organization of elections in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, which France considers a violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Franco-Russian relations have deteriorated in recent months as Paris has stepped up its support for Ukraine. Just last week, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying that if Russia breaks through the Ukrainian front lines, it would be legitimate to consider it if Kyiv asks for support.
Germany has announced that it will not send a representative to Putin's inauguration. The Baltic states, which no longer have representatives in Moscow, have also categorically ruled out attending the inauguration.
Two European diplomats said that they did not expect the United States to send a representative to the inauguration, although Washington did not make a public statement.
"We believe that the isolation of Russia, and especially its criminal leader, should be continued," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. - "For Lithuania, participation in Putin's inauguration is unacceptable. Our priority remains to support Ukraine and its people who are fighting against Russian aggression.
