Macron distances himself from US' Biden calling Putin a 'butcher'

PARIS

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday distanced himself from his US counterpart Joe Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “butcher,” warning against an escalation of words and actions in Ukraine.

"I will not use this kind of remark because I continue to talk with President Putin," Macron told France 3 television.

Macron was in personal contact with Putin before the war and has been working to play a mediating role between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin, in the absence of communications between the two warring countries.

Asked about Biden’s strong comments against Putin, Macron said: “We made the choice not to intervene in the conflict militarily.”

“We want to stop the war that Russia has launched in Ukraine without going to war … If we want to do this, we must not escalate either words or actions," he stressed, explaining that Europe made the choice to not intervene militarily in the conflict, saying the objective is to stop the war.

Macron emphasized that Europe is no longer involved in the “cold war" between Moscow and Washington.

“We Europeans must not give into some escalation. We Europeans must not forget our geography or our history. We are not at war with the Russian people," he insisted.

On Saturday in Poland, Biden called Putin a “butcher” and also said: “For the love of God, this man cannot stay in power.”

The White House later said that Biden’s remarks did not call for regime change in Russia.

Macron also said he would have a phone call with Putin on Monday or Tuesday “to organize an evacuation operation for residents of the city of Mariupol.”

A joint operation with Turkiye and Greece would involve the opening of a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians who have been besieged and are facing a devastating bombing campaign by Russia.