The Russian President, Vladimir Putinaccused this Saturday the Ukrainian forces of “flagrant violations” of humanitarian law and called on his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to pressure Kiev to end them.
During a phone call with his two counterparts, Putin mentioned “extrajudicial killings of opponents”, “hostage taking by civilians” and their “use as human shields,” as well as the “deployment of heavy weapons in residential areas, near hospitals, schools and nurseries'”according to a Kremlin statement.
He also blamed Ukrainian “nationalist battalions” for “systematically disrupting rescue operations and intimidating civilians trying to evacuate” from combat zones.
“Vladimir Putin urged Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz to influence the Kiev authorities to put an end to these criminal actions,” the Kremlin added.