Ukraine minister fires back after France’s Macron said not to ‘humiliate Russia’

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba slammed French President Emmanuel Macron after he urged world powers not to “humiliate Russia.”

France has attempted to mediate the conflict between Ukraine and Russia since the war began and maintain civil relationships with both sides.

“We must not humiliate Russia so that the day when the fighting stops we can build an exit ramp through diplomatic means,” Macron said Saturday during an interview with a local paper, Reuters reported.

“I am convinced that it is France’s role to be a mediating power.”

The comment has fared poorly on the international stage and in Kyiv, where Kuleba condemned Macron for the remark.

“Calls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France and every other country that would call for it. Because it is Russia that humiliates itself,” Kuleba tweeted Saturday.

“We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. This will bring peace and save lives,” he added.

During the war, Russia has been accused of multiple war crimes, including targeting civilians, raping women and kidnapping children.

Macron said in the same interview he told Russian President Vladimir Putin he is “making a historic and fundamental mistake for his people, for himself and for history.”

Friday marked 100 days of fighting in Ukraine as Ukrainian forces are still working to repel Russian soldiers from their land.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered a message of hope to his people to mark the milestone, saying that “victory will be ours.”

However, in recent days, Ukraine has been struggling, and Zelensky admitted Russia has control of one-fifth of Ukraine.

The difficulty in the war comes as the U.S. announced a $700 million weapons aid package for Ukraine this week.

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