French President Emmanuel Macron 聽REUTERS FILE PHOTO
笔础搁滨厂鈥�President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday lashed out at Poland鈥檚 prime minister following his criticism of the French leader鈥檚 repeated talks with Russia鈥檚 Vladimir Putin.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday slammed Macron鈥檚 hours of phone calls with Putin, whom he likened to Hitler, and suggested they had achieved nothing.
鈥淭hese statements are both baseless and scandalous,鈥� Macron told TF1 on Wednesday evening when asked about the remarks which threaten to undermine EU unity during the bloc鈥檚 face-off with Moscow over Ukraine.
He said the Polish leader was from a 鈥渇ar-right party鈥� and was 鈥渟upporting鈥� his rival Marine Le Pen in France鈥檚 presidential election this month.
鈥淚 take full responsibility for having spoken to the president of Russia, in the name of France, to avoid the war and to build a new architecture for peace in Europe several years ago,鈥� he added.
鈥淚 did it from the beginning of my term in office,鈥� he said adding: 鈥淚 was never naive, unlike others. I was never complicit, unlike others.鈥�
Macron has sought to target Le Pen鈥檚 links to Russia, stressing repeatedly how she had taken a loan from a Russian bank which her National Rally party is still repaying.
Le Pen has been seeking to distance herself from Moscow, which she visited before the last election in 2017 to meet Putin.
She has lobbied for the EU to drop sanctions imposed on Russia after its annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014 and has expressed admiration for Putin in the past.
Also speaking to TF1, Le Pen called for France to withdraw its ambassador from Moscow following the killing of Ukrainian civilians in the town of Bucha allegedly by Russian troops
鈥淚f there is really proof, then we need to be very firm,鈥� she said.
Polls show Le Pen gaining ground fast on Macron ahead of the first round of voting on Sunday in France鈥檚 election.
Risky diplomacy
Macron鈥檚 investment in diplomatic talks with Putin saw him surge in the polls in March, but he has since fallen back in a campaign increasingly focused on the danger of inflation in France.
In her interview on Wednesday night, Le Pen repeated her pledges to slash taxes on fuel and essential food items, while promising to ban the Muslim headscarf in all public spaces.
The eurosceptic nationalist also said she would refuse to stand in front of an EU flag for her official portrait if elected president because 鈥渕y job is not to be governor of a European region.鈥�
In his comments on Monday, Poland鈥檚 Morawiecki criticised several European leaders, including Macron.
鈥淗ow many times have you negotiated with Putin and what have you achieved?鈥� he said, addressing the French leader.
鈥淲e do not discuss, we do not negotiate with criminals. Criminals have to be fought against.
鈥淣obody negotiated with Hitler. Would you negotiate with Hitler, with Stalin, with Pol Pot?鈥�
Morawiecki also called for new Western sanctions against Russia and compared Putin to dictators from the past.
RELATED STORIES
In UN speech, Ukraine鈥檚 Zelensky accuses Russia of worst war crimes since WW2
In heated exchange, US defense chief defends Ukraine response
WHO to supply HIV drugs to Ukraine
Ukraine says people can still only flee Mariupol by car or on foot