Putin and Macron spoke by phone for the first time in three years

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was announced on the Kremlin's website.

According to the information, among other things, the situation in Ukraine was also discussed. "Vladimir Putin reminded that the Ukrainian conflict is a direct consequence of the policies of Western states," the Kremlin noted.

The prospects for a peaceful settlement were also discussed: Putin "confirmed the principled approaches to possible agreements, which should be comprehensive and long-term in nature, provide for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and be based on new territorial realities."

In addition, the situation in the Middle East was discussed, including the confrontation between Iran and Israel, and the Iranian nuclear program.

According to the Elysée Palace, the leaders talked for more than two hours and discussed the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the Iranian nuclear issue. Macron "emphasized France's unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," and also called for a ceasefire and the start of negotiations, according to BFMTV.

The last telephone conversation between the presidents of France and Russia took place in September 2022, and the last personal meeting was on February 7 of the same year in Moscow, when negotiations lasted almost six hours. At that time, security issues in Europe were discussed against the backdrop of the growing crisis around Ukraine.