Volodimir Zelensky, Ukrainian president, continued Wednesday’s tour of Western Parliaments. This time, he addressed the French deputies. One of France’s emblems, liberty. He urged France to support kyiv, as well as other world leaders, so that “freedom doesn’t lose.”
Zelensky reiterated the need for financial and military aid. confronting “Russian superiority” on the battlefield. Zelensky stated via videoconference that “we have to exert collective pressure to stop Russia,” before speaking to the National Assembly in early afternoon.
The Ukrainian head of State addressed the French parliamentariansHe thanked them all for the time and effort they put in with Emmanuel Macron at its helm. However, he said that “they know who’s to blame for the current events in Ukraine” and that they have the answers to “stop this war”. The most famous accusation came in the closing minutes of the afternoon. He directly appealed at three French multinationals, Renault and Auchan, to “leave Russia’s market” and to stop being “sponsors of Putin’s war. “Everyone is going to remember that values mean more than benefits”, he concluded by sentencing.
The truth isThe pressure situation gets worse Leroy Merlin, a DIY multinational well established in Russia and its second market, France, where it has more 100 stores and 37,000 employees, is an example. The supermarket chain is an example. Auchan has 231 stores across Russia It has a turnover of more than 3,000 million euros, which is more than 10% its global activity. Renault’s turnover in Russia through one its subsidiaries was approximately 6,6% of its global total. The Russian market is crucial for the three multinationals mentioned by the Ukrainian president.
What’s more, The leader of Ukraine stressed that Russian aggression is indiscriminateThey don’t distinguish between the goals. Zelensky stated that Russian ships had struck Mariupol’s schools, warehouses, and hospitals. He also challenged France’s historical memory by comparing the images of Mariupol’s destruction with the “photographs from Verdun during the First World War” that each of them has seen.