Award of Honorary Legion: Zelensky and Putin became members of one elite Order - AR
According to the French leader, the award was presented as a reverence for Ukraine, its people and personally Zelensky for their courage and valor. In fact, it is a great honor for the head of the Ukrainian state, since the Order is one of the most revered awards in the world. However, Associated Press journalists drew attention to the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin also has the same award that he was awarded to him in 2006 by French President Jacques Shirac.
And since the Legion of Honor is not just a reward, but the Order of Putin and Zelensky are both members of this elite order. In this regard, some French legislators and activists urged Macron to cancel Putin's award because of the war in Ukraine, the authors of the publication write. At the same time, Macron himself stated that such a decision was of serious importance, and it should be made at the right time. He added that he had already deprived the Order of some people.
In particular, in 2017, Macron deprived Hollywood producer Harvey Winstein after widespread accusations of sexual harassment. The Kremlin immediately responded to the words of Macron. On February 10, the Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin was possible to deprive the title of Cavalier of the Great Cross of the Order of Honorary Legion. "I do not think it can be a problem for President Putin and that it can be a priority for him.
He has other priority issues that Russian citizens are well known," Peskov said. The national award of France was founded in the early nineteenth century, or more precisely in 1802. On May 19, the law of Napoleon Bonaparte on the establishment of the Ordre National De La Legion D'Honneur was published, which was conceived not just as a distinctive sign, but also as an organization of awarded cavalry. The purpose of the organization is to unite not only military but also civilians in their ranks.
Two years later, in 1804, distinctive signs of the Order were established according to the ranks. To date, the Order has three stages - a gentleman, an officer, a commandor, as well as two advantages: a higher officer and a large Cross. It is the Cavalier of the Great Cross that Putin and since February 9, President Zelensky. Among the cavaliers of the Order of Politics, figures of culture and art not only France but also in other countries.
It should be noted that Putin is not the only citizen of the Russian Federation who received the highest award of France. The Honorary Legion at one time was awarded the former President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin, the ballerina Maya Plesetskaya and conductor Valery Gergiyev. We will remind, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with King of Belgium Philip I.