Kyiv rejected Emmanuel Macron’s call not to “humiliate” Russia in the name of diplomacy, and said there was no point in returning to the negotiating table until Moscow’s forces were withdrawn as much as possible.
The French president said on Saturday that it was vital that Russia not be humiliated, so that when hostilities stopped in Ukraine, a diplomatic solution could be reached.
Speaking to regional reporters, Macron also said he believed Paris would play a key role in mediating peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv after the end of the fierce conflict.
“We must not humiliate Russia so that on the day the fighting stops, we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means,” Macron said.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he believes France can be a mediator
(EPA)
“I am convinced that France’s role is to be a mediating power.
He also told reporters that he had told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he was “making a historic and fundamental mistake for his people, for himself and for history.”
But responding on Twitter, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said such calls “can only humiliate France and any other country that calls for it.”
“Because it is Russia that is humiliating itself. We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. It will bring peace and save lives, “he continued.
This comes after a second high-ranking official in Kyiv said there was no point in returning to talks with Russia until its forces were pushed back to Ukraine’s borders.
Adviser to Ukrainian President Mykhailo Podoliak remarked when asked about Macron’s mediation proposal on Saturday.
He told the broadcasters: “Until we get the full number of weapons, until we strengthen our positions, until we push them [Russia‘s forces] back, as far as possible, to the borders of Ukraine, there is no point in negotiating. “
Reports followed that numerous explosions shook the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early Sunday, hitting unspecified “infrastructure” targets.
This morning’s attacks mark the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in weeks after a period of relative calm in the city and suburbs.
“Several explosions in the capital’s Darnytskyi and Dniprovsky districts,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote in the Telegram news release, adding: “Services are already working on the spot.
At least one person has been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported after a series of explosions in the capital, Klitschko added.
The missiles hit the Darnytskyi and Dniprovsky districts in the city, and emergency services arrived on the scene, Klitschko said.
Elsewhere, the mayor of the historic town of Brovary, about 20km (12 miles) from the center of Kyiv, urged people to stay in their homes as there were reports of the smell of soot coming from the smoke.
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