Reuters has learned that French leader Emmanuel Macron has decided not to ignore the inauguration of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on 7 May, as most other EU countries have done.
France and some other EU countries to attend Putin's inauguration
According to a European diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, 20 EU member states will boycott the Kremlin leader's ‘inauguration’, but the remaining seven states will send representatives.
Official Paris has already confirmed that ‘France will be represented by its ambassador to Russia’.
The insider pointed out that Emmanuel Macron's team had previously condemned the repressive conditions under which the elections were held, as well as the organisation of elections in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, which Paris considers a violation of international law and the UN Charter.
However, this did not prevent the head of the republic from sending his ambassador to Moscow.
What is important to understand is that the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, publicly opposed the presence of EU representatives at the ‘inauguration’ ceremony of dictator Vladimir Putin.
However, Emmanuel Macron did not support this move.
Putin is no longer the legitimate president of Russia
It is worth noting that after the large-scale falsification of the ‘elections’ in Russia, Putin lost his legitimacy as president of this country.
Official Kyiv has recently stated that it sees no reason to recognise Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia.
‘Such actions of Russia, despite warnings from reputable international institutions, once again prove that its leadership does not recognise its responsibility and is not going to stop the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine,’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said in an official statement.
Interestingly, the United States will ignore Putin's ‘inauguration’ but still consider him ‘president’.
