Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
According to foreign media, Macron was one of Putin's regular interlocutors before the outbreak of war.
Most Western leaders have severed ties with Vladimir Putin since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. In November 2024, Vladimir Putin expressed regret that Western leaders “stopped calling.”
He added: "If any of them want to resume contacts, I have always said and I want to repeat: we have nothing against them."
The French side spoke of "France's full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Macron even called for "a ceasefire to enter into force as soon as possible and for negotiations to begin between Ukraine and Russia for a lasting solution to the conflict," the French presidency said in a press release, A2 CNN writes.
The Russian side speaks of a "substantive discussion" and adds that the two leaders discussed Iran and Israel, the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, as well as the Ukrainian issue, with the Kremlin emphasizing that the war is the result of Western policy.
"Putin recalled that the Ukrainian conflict is a direct consequence of the policies of Western states, which for many years ignored Russia's security interests, created an anti-Russian base in Ukraine, and tolerated violations of the rights of Russian-speaking residents," the Kremlin reports.
Western countries, as the Russian president added, are pursuing a policy that prolongs the war and "supplies the Kiev regime with modern weapons."
He also stressed that the solution in Ukraine must be comprehensive, eliminate root causes, and be based on realities on the ground.
In addition, the Russian leader "confirmed the basic approaches to possible agreements, which should be comprehensive and long-term, provide for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and be based on new territorial realities."
The presidents also discussed the situation in the Middle East in the context of the Iran-Israel conflict and US attacks on Iranian facilities, the Kremlin reports, writes A2 CNN.
They noted the importance of respecting Iran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including cooperation with the IAEA.
The two presidents supported resolving the crisis over Iran and other conflicts in the region through diplomacy. They agreed to continue contacts with the aim of possible coordination of positions on resolving the Middle East crisis, and also noted the special responsibility of Russia and France as permanent members of the UN Security Council for maintaining peace and security.
They finally agreed to continue contacts with each other with the aim of possible coordination of positions. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
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