French Mayor removes Ukraine flag from city hall after phone call between Zelenskyy and Azerbaijan Prez Aliyev

First Post, India
Oct 7 2023

The mayor of Vienne, a city in south-eastern France, has removed the Ukrainian flag from the city hall after an “unacceptable” phone conversation between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

Initially, the Ukrainian flag had been hoisted at the city hall to express solidarity with Kyiv for the war in Ukraine. However, Thierry Kovacs argued that it was contradictory to “claim Western values and request Western assistance” while supporting Azerbaijan and what he referred to as the “ethnic cleansing” of ethnic-Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“This doesn’t diminish Vienne’s support for the Ukrainian people, but we cannot oppose a totalitarian regime in the name of European values while simultaneously endorsing another dictatorial and brutal regime. It’s a matter of consistency, ” said the mayor in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The phone call between Presidents Zelensky and Aliyev had reportedly included expressions of gratitude from Zelenskyy for Azerbaijan’s “significant humanitarian assistance,” with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Last month, Azerbaijan regained control of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh during a brief “counterterrorism” operation. Nagorno-Karabakh, primarily populated by ethnic-Armenians, had declared independence from Baku in the early 1990s, but this declaration was not recognised by any country, including Armenia.

Despite assurances from Baku about protecting civilians, over 100,000 Armenians, approximately 90 per cent of Nagorno-Karabakh’s estimated population, fled the region after a ceasefire was reached in late September.

https://www.firstpost.com/world/french-mayor-removes-ukraine-flag-from-city-hall-after-phone-call-between-zelenskyy-and-azerbaijan-prez-aliyev-13215592.html

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS