At the request of the Ukrainian government, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Elysée palace has said in a statement:
The president reiterated the international community’s demand that [Russia] halt its offensive against
Ukraine, and reaffirmed the necessity of immediately establishing a ceasefire.
With ceasefire
talks between Kyiv and Moscow under way on the Belarus border, Macron also asked Putin to ensure that for the duration of the negotiations all strikes and attacks on civilians and their homes would be halted, civilian infrastructure would be preserved, and all main roads – particularly the road south out of Kyiv – would remain safe to use.
Putin “confirmed his willingness to commit to all three points”, the Elysée statement said.
Macron also called on Putin to ensure international humanitarian law was respected and civilian populations and aid transports protected, and asked the Russian president to “stay in touch over the coming days to avoid the situation worsening”.