Putin Called Macron For The First Time In Three Years
- 1.07.2025, 20:20
What was discussed.
Vladimir Putin has held telephone talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. This was reported by the Kremlin press service, without disclosing who initiated the dialog. For the two leaders, this is the first direct contact since September 2022.
The two heads of state discussed the situation in the Middle East after the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. According to the Kremlin, Putin and Macron emphasized the importance of respecting Tehran's "legitimate right" to develop a peaceful atom and continuing to fulfill its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, including cooperation with the IAEA.
The two sides also touched on the war in Ukraine, with Putin once again calling the armed conflict "a direct consequence of the policy of Western states," which "for years" have allegedly ignored Russia's security interests, created an "anti-Russian bridgehead" in Ukraine and "condoned violations of the rights of Russian-speaking residents." In addition, Putin accused the West of "prolonging hostilities" by "feeding the Kiev regime with various modern weapons." Speaking about the prospects for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin "reaffirmed principled approaches to possible agreements," which, in his opinion, should provide for "the elimination of the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis" and be based on "new territorial realities."
According to Le Monde, citing the Elysee Palace, Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France's unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity during the phone conversation, while calling on Putin to immediately cease hostilities.
The last time Putin spoke with Macron by phone was on September 11, 2022. At that time, the conversation took place at the initiative of the French side. During the talks, as the Kremlin reported, there was a "detailed and frank exchange of views" on the situation in Ukraine with "an emphasis on the issues of ensuring the safety" of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. The heads of state also touched on the topic of global food security. In particular, Putin reiterated Moscow's position that grain exported from the Black Sea ports should be directed primarily to the needs of developing countries.