Ukraine demands that the French RTL apologize for the words "Zelensky's big top circus"

Photo: screenshot from the video

The French channel RTL faced backlash after an inappropriate joke about the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky; the Ukrainian side demands an apology.

Ukraine's Ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, tweeted about this, reports "European Pravda".

He published an excerpt from a RTL broadcast. The host opened the program with a reminder that the day before (May 15), President Zelensky had been at the Elysee Palace "with his big top circus."

Next, they announced "the European tour of Zelensky's circus" and played up his meetings with European politicians as an advertisement for a circus performance "to help Ukraine."

"What cynicism and lack of tact, not representative of the friendly people of France. No empathy, no responsibility. I demand an apology to my President and my people, who are suffering and fighting for their freedom, but also for yours and for a chance to enjoy the lightness of life," Omelchenko wrote in the caption to the video.

Quel cynisme et manque de tact non représentatif du peuple ami??.Sans empathie, sans responsabilité. J'exige des excuses envers mon Président et mon peuple??qui souffre et se bat pour sa liberté mais aussi pour la vôtre et pour la possibilité de profiter de la légèreté de la vie. https://t.co/V8C1RUXfLk

— Vadym Omelchenko (@OmelchenkoVadym) May 16, 2023

We remind that previously, the France 24 filming crew visited a training camp for the Russian occupation forces, which are fighting in an aggressive war against Ukraine. In the report, the journalist called Ukraine's counteroffensive "the enemy's counteroffensive," while the Russian soldiers boasted that their weapons were better than Western ones. The France 24 took the report down following the backlash.

Subsequently, France24 said the report where the journalist had called Ukraine's counteroffensive "the enemy's counteroffensive" was an "unfortunate mistake."

After the backlash, France 24 took down the controversial report, and the Ukrainian ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, responded to the channel's report which contained elements of Russian propaganda.