French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for two hours, Reuters reports.
The phone call on the 1st of July was the first such contact between the leaders of the two countries since September 2022. Macron’s administration said the call lasted two hours, and the French president called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and talks to end the war.
A source in French diplomatic circles indicated that before and after the call, Macron contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to briefly outline the content of the talk. The Frenchman also discussed communication with US President Donald Trump.
According to information provided by the Kremlin press service, Putin said during the conversation that it was
important to respect Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear research, in compliance with international agreements.
The French side has said that Macron, who takes the Iranian nuclear threat seriously enough to justify intervention, has stressed that Iran must fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On the 25th of June, the Iranian parliament voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, accusing the agency of supporting Israel.
Macron has expressed his determination to seek a diplomatic solution that would lead to a lasting and stable solution to the issues of Iran’s nuclear program and its role in the region.
Speaking of Ukraine, Putin has once again stressed that the war is a direct consequence of Western actions in the region that have violated Russian interests. The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying that any comprehensive and lasting peace will be based on “new territorial realities.” The Russian dictator has previously indicated that a peace agreement is possible only if Ukraine gives up part of its territory. Macron stressed that the decision on the return of the territories should be made by Ukraine and no one else. The Macron administration pointed out that the French president had reiterated France’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial indivisibility during the phone call.
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