At the National Assembly, Volodymyr Zelensky thanks France for its assist in entrance of a sparse Hemicycle | EUROtoday

Loud ovation from parliamentarians. It is 10:02 a.m. when Volodymyr Zelensky enters the hemicycle of the National Assembly, alongside its president, Yaël Braun-Pivet. The ranks are sparse, barely 200 deputies made the journey – out of 577 – to attend the declaration of a head of state who has been at warfare for greater than two years.

Some are retained within the constituency, others merely rejected the late invitation from the President of the Assembly, just a few hours earlier than the top of the European marketing campaign. Several presidents of parliamentary teams are lacking, just like the elected Les Républicains Olivier Marleix, the “rebel” Mathilde Panot, the communist André Chassaigne or the president of the Horizons group, Laurent Marcangeli. “France and its National Assembly are at your side”declares, from the perch, the fourth particular person within the State, dealing with the Ukrainian president.

In the entrance row are the previous presidents of the National Assembly, Louis Mermaz and Jean-Louis Debré, the previous socialist prime minister, Manuel Valls, and Alain Juppé, member of the constitutional council. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal can be current alongside ministers Stéphane Séjourné (international affairs) and Marie Lebec (relations with Parliament).

France thanked for its navy assist

Since the launch of the Russian offensive led by Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, that is the second time that the Palais-Bourbon grounds have echoed a solemn speech by the Ukrainian president. Less than a month after the invasion of his nation, Mr. Zelensky started a tour, by videoconference, of Western parliaments, to problem the worldwide group on the way forward for his state within the face of Russian aggression. He then spoke to French parliamentarians on March 23, 2022, reminding them of the necessity to assist Ukraine, amongst a number of references to French historical past.

More than two years later, wearing black and khaki, Volodymyr Zelensky rushes to the rostrum of the National Assembly, on the sidelines of the ceremonies commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the Landings and permits himself a parallel between yesterday and at the moment, Nazism and the warlike needs of Vladimir Putin. “This war may spread, just like eighty years ago. (…) In the 1930s, Hitler crossed line after line. Putin does the same »argued Mr. Zelensky.

“The Russian regime knows no limits. Europe is no longer enough for him »he asserted, accusing the Russian president of having “rejected the diplomatic solution by starting a full-scale war and choosing the genocide of Ukrainians rather than dialogue with Ukraine”. The Ukrainian president then repeatedly thanked France for its navy and diplomatic assist. “Emmanuel, Mr. President, I would also like to thank you for not leaving Europe without a leader and Ukraine without France at the decisive moment”he declared, to loud applause from elected officers within the presidential camp.

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