Europe 1 with AFP 06:33, December 01, 2022

On the 281st day of the Russian invasion, the French National Assembly on Wednesday affirmed its "fullest support" for kyiv, and condemned Moscow's "crime of aggression" against its neighbor.

In Brussels, the European Commission has proposed to work on the creation of a special tribunal to judge the "crimes of Russia" during the war. 

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The National Assembly on Wednesday affirmed its "fullest support" for kyiv and condemned Russia's "crime of aggression" against Ukraine, in a resolution adopted by a large majority.

Submitted by the groups of the presidential majority, on the initiative of Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade (Renaissance), the text calls for "a zone of protection around the nuclear power plant of Zaporijjia", the largest in Europe, and affirms the Assembly's "full support" for "Ukraine, its people, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity".

The resolution, which has no legislative value, was adopted with 303 votes in favour.

The LFI and RN groups largely abstained, an LFI deputy voted against.

A large part of the Assembly applauded its adoption, turning to the Ukrainian ambassador to France Vadym Omelchenko, present in the hemicycle.

The resolution "condemns in the strongest terms the brutal, unjustified and illegal attack" by Russia and its "war crimes, indeed crimes against humanity".

She asks to "intensify the sanctions" against Russia and its president Vladimir Putin and that the French government and the European Union support "any initiative likely to encourage the end of the conflict".

She also pleads for "France to continue to take an active part in welcoming Ukrainian refugees".

"Be assured of the unwavering support that France will continue to provide to Ukraine", defended before the deputies the Secretary of State for Development and Francophonie Chrysoula Zacharopoulou.

"This vote comes at a crucial moment in the war", launched to the deputies before the ballot Mr. Anglade, chairman of the European Affairs Committee, denouncing a desire of the Russian army to "use winter as a war weapon".

"In this hemicycle unfortunately, Vladimir Putin still has a certain number of supporters who verbally condemn this war but systematically oppose arms deliveries and sanctions", he denounced before directly challenging the RN deputies and LFI.

Brussels in favor of a special court to judge "Russian crimes"

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday to work on the creation of a special tribunal to judge the "crimes of Russia" in Ukraine and on solutions to mobilize frozen Russian assets in order to rebuild this country, two undertakings which are announced however difficult.

At the same time, on the ground of military operations, Russian forces are keeping up the pressure to try to seize Bakhmout, a city in eastern Ukrainian territory in the vicinity of which fighting has been raging since summer.

"The enemy continues to concentrate its main efforts on the conduct of offensive actions in the Bakhmout sector", thus reported at the end of the afternoon the staff of the Ukrainian army.

The Russians had recently claimed the capture of three villages near this city which had 70,000 inhabitants before the war and which is now largely destroyed.

This battle took on all the more symbolic importance for Moscow as the conquest of Bakhmout, with the support of the paramilitary group Wagner, would come after a series of humiliating defeats, with the retreats from Kharkiv (north-east) in September and from Kherson (south) in November.

An employee of the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid was also slightly injured on Wednesday by the explosion of a letter bomb, leading kyiv to order a reinforcement of security in all its diplomatic representations.

'Come to Ukraine' says Zelensky to Musk after controversial peace proposal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday criticized a controversial peace plan proposal made by US billionaire Elon Musk to end Russia's offensive in Ukraine, inviting him to come to his war-torn country.

Elon Musk sparked controversy on Twitter in October with a proposed peace plan between kyiv and Moscow.

The American billionaire suggested in particular that Crimea remain an integral part of Russia but also the organization of new referendums under the supervision of the UN in the Ukrainian regions "annexed" by the Russians, and a status of neutral country for Ukraine.

At an event hosted by The New York Times, President Zelensky appeared to deride the maverick billionaire's proposal, saying he should come to Ukraine instead.

"I think either someone has influence on him or he's drawing conclusions on his own," Zelensky said in a New York Times DealBook video conference, alluding to Elon Musk. .

"If you want to understand what Russia has done here, come to Ukraine and see everything for yourself," Zelensky said.

"And then you will tell me how to end this war, who started it and when it can be over."

In October, the Tesla and SpaceX founder launched a poll to let his more than 100 million followers vote on his proposed peace plan.

Zelensky responded with his own Twitter poll, asking, "Which @elonmusk do you like the most?"

with the options "Whoever supports Ukraine" and "Whoever supports Russia".