PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron believes “the worst is to come” in Ukraine after a 90-minute phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin who appears intent on seizing “the whole” of the country, an aide to the French leader said.
“The expectation of the president is that the worst is to come, given what President Putin told him,” a senior aide to the French leader told reporters on condition of anonymity.
“There was nothing in what President Putin told us that should reassure us. He showed great determination to continue the operation,” the aide continued.
He added that Putin “wanted to seize control of the whole of Ukraine. He will, in his own words, carry out his operation to ‘de-Nazify’ Ukraine to the end.”
“You can understand the extent to which these words are shocking and unacceptable and the president told him that it was lies,” the aide said.
Macron also urged Putin to avoid civilian casualties and allow for humanitarian access.
“President Putin replied that he was in favor but without making any commitments,” the aide said, adding that Putin had denied that the Russian military was targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Macron will again push for extra sanctions on Russia to increase the cost of the invasion, the aide said while denying any open tensions between the two men.
“President Putin has a way of talking that is very neutral and very clinical. He sometimes shows signs of impatience, but fundamentally there were no open signs of tensions during the exchanges,” the aide said.
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Macron believes ‘the worst is to come’ in Ukraine after Putin call: aide
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Macron believes ‘the worst is to come’ in Ukraine after Putin call: aide
- "The expectation of the president is that the worst is to come, given what President Putin told him," said a senior aide
- Macron also urged Putin to avoid civilian casualties and allow for humanitarian access
Thai runner-up party seeks criminal case against election officials
- A Thai political party that came second in this month’s vote filed a criminal complaint Thursday against the nation’s election commissioner
BANGKOK: A Thai political party that came second in this month’s vote filed a criminal complaint Thursday against the nation’s election commissioners, accusing them of violating election laws, the party’s deputy told AFP.
The reformist People’s Party “submitted a case” to a criminal court against seven election commissioners, the Election Commission’s secretary-general and another election official, deputy party leader Wayo Assawarungruang said.
“Two charges involve wrongful exercise of duties, and the last charge we claimed was about marking ballots with QR codes and barcodes which allow the votes to be traced and not kept secret as it should be,” Wayo said.
The Election Commission confirmed the victory of caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s conservative Bhumjaithai party on Wednesday, ratifying most of the vote results.
Bhumjaithai won 170 constituencies, the most of any party, while People’s Party — which had been polling first ahead of the election — came in second, with 88 constituencies, the commission said.
Some citizens and experts raised concerns after election day that QR codes and barcodes found on ballots could be used to identify individual voters.
But the commission said the markings were to ensure electoral security and prevent the use of fake ballots.
The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases said it will decide whether to hear the case by March 24, according to Wayo.
If the court takes up the case, the nine face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and the loss of their political rights for a decade.
The reformist People’s Party “submitted a case” to a criminal court against seven election commissioners, the Election Commission’s secretary-general and another election official, deputy party leader Wayo Assawarungruang said.
“Two charges involve wrongful exercise of duties, and the last charge we claimed was about marking ballots with QR codes and barcodes which allow the votes to be traced and not kept secret as it should be,” Wayo said.
The Election Commission confirmed the victory of caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s conservative Bhumjaithai party on Wednesday, ratifying most of the vote results.
Bhumjaithai won 170 constituencies, the most of any party, while People’s Party — which had been polling first ahead of the election — came in second, with 88 constituencies, the commission said.
Some citizens and experts raised concerns after election day that QR codes and barcodes found on ballots could be used to identify individual voters.
But the commission said the markings were to ensure electoral security and prevent the use of fake ballots.
The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases said it will decide whether to hear the case by March 24, according to Wayo.
If the court takes up the case, the nine face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and the loss of their political rights for a decade.
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