French President Emmanuel Macron called on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to
"demand an immediate end"
to the Russian army's offensive in Ukraine, the French presidency said.
"After having spoken to the Ukrainian president, and in consultation with him, the president called Vladimir Putin to demand the immediate cessation of Russian military operations, recalling that Russia was exposed to massive sanctions"
, indicated the Elysee. while Emmanuel Macron participated in an exceptional European summit in Brussels.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: pro-Russian separatists hope for a quick victory thanks to military support from Moscow
For its part, the Kremlin reported a
“serious and frank” exchange.
This is the first known telephone contact between Vladimir Putin and a Western leader since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning.
The two leaders
"had a serious and frank exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine"
, the Kremlin said in a statement issued after this meeting organized, according to the French presidency,
" at the initiative of the French party".
Vladimir Putin
“gave a detailed explanation of the reasons and circumstances of the decision to carry out a special military operation”
in Ukraine, added the Kremlin.
According to a source within the French presidency, Emmanuel Macron
"demanded the immediate cessation"
of the Russian offensive in Ukraine
"by recalling that Russia was exposed to massive sanctions".
Several dozen people died in bombardments and clashes.
The Russian operation was widely condemned by the international community and Western countries imposed economic sanctions on Moscow in response.
