His fears about the offensive in the Donbass, Le Pen and Macron, Mariupol … Volodimir Zelensky confides in BFMTV

Volodimir Zelensky gives an exclusive interview to BFMTV this Wednesday, April 20 at 6:50 p.m. The Ukrainian president should discuss the current situation in his country at a time when Russia has just deployed almost all of its forces in the east, particularly in the Donbass.

But President Zelensky also gave his views on the French presidential election to Yves Calvi and Ulysse Gosset, a few hours before the second round debate. In a video extract published today, he said that Marine Le Pen must understand that she has “deceived” about Ukraine to improve relations with Kyiv.

The candidate for the presidency of the French Republic supported by the National Rally (RN) has so far always refused to condemn the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, judging that it was not the result of an invasion but of a democratic referendum. This position earned him in 2017 to be banned from staying in Ukraine by kyiv.

Asked about this point and his relations with a possible President Marine Le Pen four days before the second round of the French presidential election, Volodimir Zelensky replied that “if the candidate understands that she was wrong, our relationship could change“.

“I would not like Macron to lose”

“I mean that, of course, I have relations with Emmanuel Macron and I don’t want to lose them“, he added. “I understand that the internal pressure must be quite significant. But President Macron must choose since it is war. Between business and money, or between the fight for freedom, human rights”, he pointed out, aware of the many companies present on Russian soil.

For his part, the incarcerated Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny clearly called on the French on Wednesday to vote for Emmanuel Macron. “A Russian political prisoner addressing French voters, it’s quite ironic (…). I certainly urge, without hesitation, the people of France to vote for @EmmanuelMacron on April 24,” he said. said in a long post on Twitter.

“Anyone who calls himself a ‘conservative’ and sympathizes with Putin is in fact a hypocrite without a conscience,” he added. “Elections are always difficult. But you have to participate in them to at least vote against someone.”

The Russian threat more than ever present

President Zelensky has also expressed concern about the Russian army, which he thinks is not fully mobilized. “We can fear that the operations in progress are only a prelude to even greater violence. The Russians have not yet mobilized all their means and it can be tactical. So I cannot certify today that it The large-scale offensive has already begun,” he warned on BFMTV.

“The situation in Donbass has been difficult for eight years because the guerrillas have reigned there all this time,” he also said. But Zelensky was optimistic, saying he had “faith” the Ukrainians would win.

A terrorist action in Mariupol

The president also made a provisional assessment of “the first part of the war”. “We counted 15,000 dead during this first part of the war. There are of course many more victims today”, adding that “life has resumed in kyiv but the air strikes continue”.

Zelensky reiterated the need to evacuate civilians, especially in Mariupol “some people manage to flee but most of the time the paths are blocked and people cannot leave the city.” The latter is still awaiting the delivery of heavy weapons from the West, whose relations he claims have “warmed up”. He estimates that 95% of the city has so far been destroyed by the Russians.

“Soldiers are stranded, but it’s not just soldiers who are stranded, there are also civilians, the elderly. It’s not even war anymore, it’s more a terrorist action on the part of of the Russian Federation in Mariupol,” he said.