Even far from Ukraine, they wanted to show Vladimir Putin that they are there. This Thursday, a few hours after the Russian military attack launched against Ukraine, several hundred demonstrators gathered in front of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
“Putin, terrorist! », « Putin, out! “. The chants sung in front of the huge building testify to the anger of the demonstrators. “He is a dictator who only aspires to invasion, to deprive us of our freedom and steal our resources and especially our wheat,” thunders Olga, 26 and from Kiev. Furious, his friend Andriy adds: “He’s crazy, he’s ready to sacrifice thousands of Ukrainian and Russian lives to have his empire. »
The anger of Ukrainians in France
These testimonies mingle with multiple signs, some of which compare the Russian president to Adolf Hitler. Beneath the dozens of waving yellow and blue flags, the crowd regularly sings the Ukrainian anthem facing the embassy, followed by slogans like “Putin, you are the Nazi”.
Several participants refer to one of the reasons given by the Russian president for invading Ukraine, the presence of neo-Nazis as that of a possible genocide against Russian speakers. At this evocation, Jean-Christophe cannot restrain his anger. His companion, Zoya, from the city of Dnipro, in central Ukraine, and their children are Franco-Ukrainian: “My wife is Russian-speaking, most Ukrainians are Russian-speaking. President Zelensky is Russian-speaking and Jewish. And Putin dares to call Ukrainians Nazis? »
Anguish and fear for loved ones back home
Anger is followed by sadness and fear. Zoya and Jean-Christophe cannot camouflage their anguish for their family and their friends scattered all over the country: “They called us this morning. Some were close to bombed areas. They cannot flee since the roads are either closed or too congested. With tears in her eyes, Zoya shows a photo sent by her sister on which we can see lights and explosions: “The region is closed, we just advised them to find shelter, in the basement or in the garden, to take supplies and wait. »
The emotion is also strong in Kataryna, a 45-year-old Ukrainian: “I am afraid to see my country disappear, and with it, my sister and my daughter. Tears come to her as she recalls the events of this morning. Like her, many cannot contain their emotion. However, Kataryna manages to catch her breath to ask for help from the French government and Europe: “You see it on the signs: Ukraine is Europe. We feel European. You cannot abandon us. »
A call for help that resonates with the many participants. Georgian and Polish flags at the heart of the assembly recall the demonstrators’ fear of seeing Vladimir Putin continue to expand further into the former territories of the former USSR, or its satellites.