Kherson civilian 'evacuations' by Russia 'outrageous': EU Commission VP Jourova

Speaking to FRANCE 24, Vera Jourova, a Vice-President of the European Commission, strongly condemned what Russia says are evacuations of civilians in the Kherson province of southern Ukraine. "I come from Czechoslovakia and this is the old playbook," she told Catherine Nicholson. "The Soviet military invasion of 1968 was presented as brotherly help." Jourova went on to outline efforts to help journalists in Ukraine and to support media freedoms inside the EU. She also reviewed the latest talks between the EU and Poland on the thorny issue of rule of law – a standoff that could in theory lead to Poland losing some of its EU funding.

Asked about the "evacuations" of civilians in Ukraine's Kherson province, Jourova said: "Russia is covering up the reality by lying totally, claiming that this is humanitarian assistance. That is the old playbook. I come from Czechoslovakia and, in 1968, Soviet propaganda said it was providing 'brotherly help', when in fact it was a military invasion. This is also why we are supporting journalists working in the battlefields so that we can get trustworthy information, because Russian propaganda is very successful – maybe not so much in EU member states, but we see more impact in the Arab world and in Africa."

Produced by Isabelle Romero, Sophie Samaille and Perrine Desplats

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