France: French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he is considering stripping Mr. Vladimir Putin of France’s top honour, the “Legion d’Honneur.”
The Russian President received the honour in 2006 from former French President Jacques Chirac.The title, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil.
Mr. Macron stated that he is waiting for the “right moment” to strip the Russian president of the title.
Mr. Macron awarded the Russian President’s enemy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the top honor, but he has yet to formally remove it from Mr. Putin.
Speaking after an EU summit in which leaders considered stepping up weapons deliveries to Ukraine, Macron admitted that the question of Putin’s medal was “symbolic but important.”
Mr. Macron further added that he believed he had the right to revoke the honour.
“It is not a decision that I made today. Such decisions are always meaningful, and I think you have to appreciate the right moment to make them,” the President added.
The honour was given to the Russian President during a period of relatively close French-Russian relations.
But Mr. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has resulted in widespread condemnation and the European nations’ imposition of tough economic sanctions on Russia.
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