The French president accused Russia this Friday of “being a destabilizing power in Africa”, stressing that Moscow’s absence at the summit held in Paris to promote a reform of the international financial system demonstrates its “isolation”.
Emmanuel Macron said, in an interview with the French media France 24, Franceinfo and Radio France International, that Russia “is a destabilizing power in Africa through private militias that play a predatory role and abuse the civilian population”, in an apparent reference to sending Wagner Group Mercenaries to various countries, including Mali, Libya and the Central African Republic (CAR).
“This situation was documented by the United Nations in RCA, at the hands of the Wagner militia,” he said, referring to the mercenary group in the hands of oligarch Yevgeni Prigozhin, close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Russia has placed itself in a situation where it does not respect international law and has become one of the only colonial powers of the 21st century,” he stressed.
In this sense, the French leader described the invasion of Ukraine as an “imperialist war” and stressed that “today it is not possible to resume dialogue (with Russia).” “There is no reason to call (Putin) today, there is a Ukrainian counter-offensive,” he explained, before appealing to Moscow to “respect international law.”
“I hope the time will come to negotiate on Ukraine’s terms. On the other hand, if [Putin] If they call me to make a proposal, I will respond, because France has always been a facilitating and mediating power,” he said.
The summit was attended by world leaders such as the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, among others.
The meeting, proposed by Macron and Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley last November, will discuss numerous roundtable topics, including debt restructuring and reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
Source: TSF
