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Putin not concerned about potentially being stripped of Legion of Honor award — Kremlin

On Thursday, Emmanuel Macron awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenksy

MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is unbothered by the possibility of being stripped of France’s Legion of Honor award, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitre Peskov said on Friday.

"I don’t think that it will be a problem for President Putin or may become a matter of priority for him. He has other priorities, which are well known to Russian citizens," Peskov said, commenting on French President Emmanuel Macron’s remark that such a decision was possible.

When asked if a step like that could affect the intensity of communication between Putin and Macron, Peskov noted that it wasn’t "that intense" at the moment.

On Thursday, Macron awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenksy. When asked about the possibility of stripping the Russian leader of the award, the French president said that it was "a symbolic but important issue." He added that he had not made a decision yet and believed that the right moment should be chosen for such steps.

Putin was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, the highest French order of merit, by French President Jacques Chirac back in 2006. The order, established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, is given to civilians and military personnel for outstanding service to the nation in times of peace and war.