Zelenskyy complains Macron’s calls with Putin yielded no results

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday deplored the failure of multiple exchanges between France and Russia’s leaders to achieve any constructive results as Moscow continues to wage war on his country.

“I think Emmanuel Macron also understands that the hope of dialogue with (Vladimir) Putin is called into question…There were no results,” he told BFMTV news channel in an exclusive interview.

Macron has held close to 20 phone calls with Putin, some at Zelenskyy’s behest, in an attempt to persuade him to implement a cease-fire and allow international aid organizations to open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians. The Kremlin rejected both of these demands. Prior to the war, Macron also met with Putin and offered security guarantees to deter Moscow from invading Ukraine.

Macron described his calls to Putin as unpleasant but said they were an important part of diplomacy to achieve peaceful negotiations.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticized him, comparing talks with Putin to negotiating with “Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot."

Zelenskyy said it was impossible to reach the besieged port city of Mariupol to carry out civilian evacuations and it was completely destroyed by the Russian army targeting civilian infrastructure, including schools and kindergartens.

“They continue to bombard. They continue the artillery strikes. They shoot everywhere,” he added.

Since Feb. 24, when Russia launched the war, nearly 15,000 people have been killed, he said, adding the war between Moscow and Kyiv began in 2014 in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.

He reiterated being hurt by Macron’s position not to recognize Russia’s war as “genocide” and extended an invitation to him to visit Ukraine to witness the crimes first-hand. The French president said it was up to jurists and not politicians to qualify the term “genocide.”

Zelenskyy said Macron’s remarks were from a legal point of view, but he would understand the gravity “that it is genocide when he comes here.”

On the final round of elections for the presidency Sunday, Zelenskyy weighed in favor of Macron owing to his long-standing relations, which he “wouldn't want to lose.”

Marine Le Pen, the National Rally party’s candidate, was barred from entering Ukraine after she claimed in 2017 that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was legal.

Zelenskyy said if she was willing to acknowledge her mistake, Kyiv was willing to change the relationship.