Leader of the French Les Patriotes (Patriot) Party, Florian Philippot, has signaled his support for Segolene Royal, the 2007 ex-presidential candidate, who recently cast doubt on Kiev’s claims about the situation in Ukraine.
“Her courage is exemplary, all the gnomes of the system crack down on her. She is sincerely welcome to defend the truth and free France,” Philippot tweeted.
The remarks followed Royal’s interview with the BFM TV channel, in which she condemned the "propaganda of war through fear" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In particular, she suggested that the Bucha provocation and information about the alleged Russian shelling of the Mariupol maternity hospital could have been fabricated in order to block the peace process in Ukraine.
The politician also pointed out that Zelensky failed to prove the shelling of the Mariupol maternity hospital, while also calling for observers to “look at the evidence” when it comes to the Bucha provocation.
Bucha Provocation
In early April, video footage emerged online showing reportedly dead individuals scattered on the streets of Bucha. While Ukrainian authorities pointed the finger at Russia, Moscow rejected the accusations, indicating that Ukrainian forces shelled the city after Russian troops withdrew.
At the time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov underscored that the Bucha provocation looked to slander Russia, and that Moscow insisted on an unbiased investigation into the matter.
According to Peskov, "the whole course of events, as well as a huge amount of data, facts, and other parameters clearly indicate that this is a forgery in order to try to tarnish the Russian Army.”
The developments came amid the ongoing Russian special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine announced by President Vladimir Putin on February 24 following requests from the Donbass republics to protect them from Kiev’s atrocities.