Ukraine

Kyiv, October 18, 2026. Ukraine's press is following the French riots through the prism of Emmanuel Macron's political fragility. The Kyiv Post, quoting AFP, writes that France was "reeling" on Sunday from the previous day's violence: 1,800 people arrested, a historic city hall set on fire, and widespread looting. A 78-year-old resident of central Paris, Mehmet Ozeden, told AFP: "It's as if we had been at war." The media notes that the shock "raises the stakes" for a president in his final months in power, six months before the election that is to designate his successor, after weeks of sometimes violent student protests.

The material damage is a major concern. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, 1,800 people were arrested; in Paris, 557 people were in custody after a "record" number of arrests. Paris Deputy Mayor Lamia El Aaraje mentions a level of violence "never seen before". About 1,500 businesses were affected, with estimated losses of several hundred million euros, according to the Federation of Commerce and Distribution, whose president Alexandre Bompard is calling for accelerated insurance compensation. A death that occurred during the Paris march is presented, according to the authorities, as being of medical origin and unrelated to the violence.

Ukrinform, through its correspondent, reports on Macron's televised address on Sunday evening. Macron accused rioters from the far left, joined by many delinquents, cited the fires at the city hall in Limoges and the tourist office in Lyon, the intrusion at the town hall in Marseille, and the attack on the prefect's residence in Bordeaux, and emphasized that there is "no justification, no explanation, no excuse". "Those who wanted to overthrow the Republic will have to answer for it," he said. He instructed the government to draw lessons in terms of intelligence and early detection, and left it to the prefects, along with the mayors, to ban certain gatherings.

Ukrinform also notes the distinction that the president asks to be made between protesters and rioters, and his acknowledgement that concerns about the cost of living and fuel prices are legitimate. The Prime Minister, quoted by Le Figaro, is calling for the accelerated examination of a bill making the authors of destructions responsible for the damage: "It is not possible for a minority to smash everything while the same people always end up paying." Nuñez recalls that protesting is a right, not a coordinated riot. Ukrainian articles remain descriptive and do not comment on the opposition's criticism or the international reaction.