According to Moscow, Putin has once again blamed the West for Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. He claimed that the West “has long been building an anti-Russian foothold in Ukraine and is now prolonging combat operations.”
Another Russian propaganda agency, RIA Novosti. reported that Putin also argued any peace deal in Ukraine must be long term, “address root causes, and reflect current realities.” This is the exact formulation Moscow traditionally uses to effectively demand Ukraine’s capitulation when proposing its conditions for a ceasefire.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East. The Kremlin said the parties agreed that Iran must honor its commitments under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and continue cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Élysée Palace confirmed the call, and Le Parisien reported that Macron urged Putin to “halt hostilities as quickly as possible.” Macron also said he would continue “exchanging views” with Putin.
French officials stated that the call lasted more than two hours and that the discussion focused primarily on the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).