European Council President Charles Michel on Sunday accused Russia of having launched a “propaganda” operation on the difficulties encountered by African students to leave Ukraine during discussions on a vote at the United Nations.
European countries have been “victims of Russian propaganda on the subject”, declared Mr. Michel, who heads the body representing the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU), interviewed during the program “Political Questions by France Inter and France Info radio stations and the newspaper Le Monde.
Testimonies of African nationals being prevented from reaching or crossing Ukraine’s borders have multiplied this week, leading the African Union (AU) to express its concern on February 28 at “unacceptable different treatment” which would be “shocking and racist”.
“It is true that on the Ukrainian side, there have been for several days, this is less the case now, very, very long queues at the border, because the Ukrainians wanted to identify who were the people who were leaving the territory”, acknowledged Charles Michel, who traveled to the Polish-Ukrainian border this week.
“It seems that students of African origin did not understand why they had to queue when they were not concerned by this approach on the part of Ukraine, so it could have given rise to tensions”, he added.
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“But clearly, at the start of this, Russia activated hostile propaganda at a time when we were waging a diplomatic battle at the United Nations, to try to instil suspicion and doubt in African countries. It is exactly the same method that we know in Mali or in the Central African Republic”, affirmed the President of the European Council.
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution which “demands that Russia immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine”, by an overwhelming majority of 141 countries out of 193, five votes against and 35 abstentions, including almost half of African countries.
“There may be discriminatory behavior that is unacceptable, it must be condemned. But in no case, neither on the Ukrainian side nor on the Polish side, was there a dimension which aimed to deliberately discriminate against anyone,” assured Mr. Michel, referring to “1,500 Nigerian students” already repatriated during his visit. Poland.