The European Union should not allow Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin to enter European territory, as any such visit would benefit Russia alone, not Ukraine or Europe.
This was stated by Volodymyr Kogutyak, UWC Vice President for Western Europe and Vice President of the Association of Ukrainians in France (AUF), during an interview with Apostrophe TV.
“There is no real possibility of a ceasefire, and everyone understands this. That’s why we sincerely thank the French president and all ministers who are calling on countries to ensure that the Russian president does not enter Europe under any circumstances,” Kogutyak said.
He said that any meeting with Putin on EU soil would be “a win only for Russia, and in no way for Ukraine, Europe, or the U.S.”
Kogutyak added that the UWC is urging Ukrainian communities across Europe and the U.S. to organize events to make Putin’s visit as “unproductive” as possible.
“If the European Union shows weakness and tries to negotiate with Russia, it only accelerates the war, which could reach NATO and European territory. The only way to prevent this is to demonstrate strength and take a principled stance,” he said.
Kogutyak also stressed the importance of blocking any Russian aircraft from entering EU airspace and preventing Putin from staging a positive media image.
“If the meeting does happen, key leaders like Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron should be invited, so that negotiations are transparent and limited strictly to ceasefire documents,” the UWC Vice President said.
Earlier, the UWC sent letters to all 577 members of the French National Assembly, as well as to the president and prime minister, urging the preservation of political stability amid growing Russian threats against France and Europe.
Cover: Screenshot of the Apostrophe TV broadcast.
