Russian leader Vladimir Putin blamed the West for the Ukraine conflict in his first telephone talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron since 2022 and said any peace deal should be "long-term", the Kremlin has said.
"Vladimir Putin reminded (Macron) that the Ukrainian conflict is a direct consequence of the policy of Western states," the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday.
Putin added that Western states had "for many years ignored Russia's security interests" and "created an anti-Russian bridgehead in Ukraine".
The Kremlin said Putin told the French president that any peace deal should be "comprehensive and long-term, provide for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and be based on new territorial realities".
Macron, meanwhile, urged the Russian leader to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine "as soon as possible", the Elysee said.
The talks lasted for more than two hours and the two agreed to hold more contacts on Ukraine and Iran in the future, the French presidency said.
Macron "emphasised France's unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "called for the establishment, as soon as possible, of a ceasefire and the launch of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia for a solid and lasting settlement of the conflict", said an Elysee Palace statement.
‘Coordinate efforts’ on Iran
On Iran, "the two presidents decided to coordinate their efforts and to speak soon in order to follow up together on this issue", the French statement added.
The talks came after a ceasefire last week ended a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. Macron has previously urged Iran to ease tensions by moving to "zero enrichment" of uranium in its nuclear programme.
Macron "emphasised the urgent need" for Iran to comply with its obligations under the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty "in particular by cooperating fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose inspectors must be able to resume their work without delay", the statement said.
"He expressed his determination to seek a diplomatic solution that would allow for a lasting and demanding settlement of the nuclear issue, the question of Iran's missiles and its role in the region."
Putin, however, told his French counterpart that Moscow's ally Iran has a "right" to develop a peaceful nuclear programme, the Kremlin said.
Putin emphasised "the lawful right of Tehran in developing a peaceful nuclear (programme)", according to the Kremlin transcript of the call.
It said both presidents agreed that the conflict over Iran's nuclear programme and other Middle Eastern conflicts should be solved "exclusively" by diplomatic means and that the two leaders would "continue contacts" on this.
