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French President Emmanuel Macron held his first phone call in three years with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, a conversation the Kremlin called “substantial.”
Macron’s office, the Élysée Palace, said in a statement that the call, their first since September 2022, lasted two hours and that Macron had called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the opening of negotiations to end the conflict.
Putin reiterated his position to Macron that the war in Ukraine was “a direct consequence of the West’s policy,” which he said had “ignored Russia’s security interests.”
Any peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv should include a “comprehensive and long-term character” and be based on “new territorial realities,” the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying.
Putin has previously said Ukraine must accept Russia’s annexation of swathes of its territory as part of any peace deal.
Macron has said only Ukraine should decide on whether or not to cede territory.
During the call, Macron’s office said “the president emphasised France’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Macron and Putin aim to continue their discussions on Ukraine and Iran, the Élysée Palace said.
Macron and Putin held regular discussions around the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Macron visiting Putin in Russia in February 2022, but dialogue eventually stalled.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions
Meanwhile, the Kremlin press service, quoting Putin, said it was necessary to respect Iran’s right to the peaceful development of its nuclear programme as well as continued compliance with its obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Macron reportedly also stressed the need for Iran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), his office said.
Iran’s parliament approved a bill last month suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog after Israel and the United States bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites, aiming to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Iran has maintained it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons and that its programme is civilian and peaceful in nature.
Macron “expressed his determination to seek a diplomatic solution that would lead to a lasting and rigorous resolution of the nuclear issue, the question of Iran’s missiles, and its role in the region,” his office said, adding that the two leaders had decided to coordinate efforts.
