Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have had telephone contact for the first time in years. Their last conversation took place in September 2022, more than six months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the French President’s office, the telephone conversation lasted two hours.
The two spoke about the war in Ukraine and Iran’s nuclear program. In the conversation, Macron urged Putin to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine “as soon as possible” and to start peace negotiations “for a lasting solution to the conflict”.
According to a statement from the Kremlin, Putin said that a peace agreement “must be based on new territorial realities.” That would mean that Russia annexes occupied parts of Ukraine. According to France, the decision on this lies entirely with Kyiv.
The Russian president pointed out to Macron that “the conflict is a direct result of the policies of Western states.” They have ignored Russian security interests for years, the Kremlin claims.
Nuclear program Iran
Macron said about Iran’s nuclear program that that country must comply with its obligations under the non-proliferation treaty and that it must cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Last month, Iran passed a law that would prohibit inspections by the IAEA.
Putin emphasized that Iran, a major ally of Russia, has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
According to the Elysée, the two leaders decided to coordinate their efforts with each other and to talk further about both Iran and Ukraine soon.