War in Ukraine: Zelensky says he invited Macron to come and see the existence of a “genocide” – Le Figaro

The French president explained Thursday that the word “genocide” should in his opinion be “qualified by jurists, not by politicians” and that “to go into verbal escalation” was “not to help Ukraine”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed to have invited Emmanuel Macron to visit Ukraine to see with his own eyes that Russian forces are committing “genocide”, a term that his French counterpart has so far refused to use. Read alsoUkraine: why is Joe Biden more offensive in the choice of words than Emmanuel Macron? “Regarding Emmanuel, I spoke to him,” President Zelensky said in an interview with the American channel CNN conducted on Friday and broadcast on Sunday. “I think he wants to ensure that Russia engages in a dialogue”, he added, to explain the refusal of the French leader to denounce a “genocide” in Ukraine, unlike the president of the United States Joe Biden. The Ukrainian president initially deemed this refusal “very hurtful” on Wednesday. “I told him that I wanted him to understand that this is not a war, that this is nothing but genocide. I invited him to come when he has the opportunity,” Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN. “He will come, and he will see, and I am sure he will understand.” Joe Biden also invited to go to Ukraine Emmanuel Macron, in the midst of his re-election campaign in the presidential election next Sunday, explained Thursday that the word “genocide” should in his opinion be “qualified by jurists, not by politicians » and that « getting into verbal escalation » was « not helping Ukraine ». In his interview broadcast on Sunday, the Ukrainian president also said he wanted Joe Biden to come to Ukraine, who surprised him by saying this week that Russian forces were committing “genocide”. “I think he will come,” “but the decision is up to him, of course, it depends on the security situation,” he said. “But I think he is the leader of the United States and for that he should come and see.” Read alsoMassacres in Boutcha: can we speak of “genocide” in Ukraine? The US government is considering sending an envoy to kyiv, but the White House has ruled out a high-risk trip by the president himself for the time being. SEE ALSO – War in Ukraine: for Emmanuel Macron, using the word genocide is “not helping” the country