PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron condemned on Thursday Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end them immediately.
“France strongly condemns the decision of Russia to start a war with Ukraine. Russia must immediately put an end to its military operations,” wrote Macron on his Twitter account.
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.
Macron’s office added that, in reaction to the Russian move, France had decided to convene a national defence council meeting on Thursday morning.
The French presidential palace also said Macron had spoken via mobile phone to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who had asked for multiple interventions in support of his country.
Zelenskiy earlier said that Putin wanted to destroy the Ukrainian state.
European Union leaders will discuss new, tough sanctions on Russia at an emergency meeting later on Thursday in reaction to its “barbaric attack” on Ukraine, the EU said.
U.S. President Joe Biden, reacting to an invasion the United States had been predicting for weeks, said his prayers were with the people of Ukraine “as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack”, while promising tough sanctions in response.
“I will be meeting with the leaders of the G7, and the United States and our allies and partners will be imposing severe sanctions on Russia,” Biden said in a statement.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
