London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Macron, Putin resume phone contact but remain far apart on Ukraine war

Macron, Putin resume phone contact but remain far apart on Ukraine war

French president urges end to ‘devastating aggression’ but Russian leader shows no sign of changing course.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for the first time in a month but the two leaders seemed as far apart as ever on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Macron spoke frequently with Putin in the build-up to the invasion and in the weeks that followed. But the French leader had not talked to the Russian president since evidence emerged of mass killings of civilians by Russian forces in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, widely condemned as war crimes.

Macron re-established telephone contact with Putin following a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, the Elysée palace said in a statement on the conversation with the Russian leader.

The two sides issued vastly different readouts of the call, which the Elysée said lasted for two hours and 10 minutes. It was the 20th phone call Macron had held with Putin since last December but the first since March 29, according to the French president’s office.

In contrast to the widespread evidence of war crimes by Russian soldiers — such as the Bucha killings and the bombardment of the city of Mariupol — Putin claimed the EU was ignoring war crimes by Ukrainian forces, according to the Kremlin’s version of Tuesday’s call.

The Kremlin readout claimed Ukrainian forces were responsible for “massive shelling of cities and towns of Donbas, as a result of which civilians die,” without citing any specific location or incident. It said this could be stopped if the West put pressure on Kyiv and stopped supplying weapons to Ukrainian forces.

Macron, for his part, appealed for a cease-fire and “called on Russia to live up to its responsibilities as a permanent member of the [United Nations] Security Council by putting an end to this devastating aggression,” the Elysée said.

Macron’s office said he expressed “deep concerns concerning Mariupol and the situation in Donbas, and called on Russia to allow to continue the evacuation of the Azovstal plant which started in the past days.”

Hundreds of civilians and soldiers are reported to be still trapped inside Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks, which has been besieged by Russian forces.

Putin said Russia was evacuating civilians “in accordance with the agreement reached at a meeting between Vladimir Putin and UN Secretary-General António Guterres on April 26,” according to the Kremlin.

The French president said he remained open “to work to find a negotiated solution” to establish peace. Putin said he was “still open to dialogue” but criticized Ukrainian negotiators, accusing them of being inconsistent and unprepared for serious work.

The two leaders also discussed disruptions to food supply chains. While Macron said he wanted “to work with relevant international organizations to help lift Russia’s blockage of Ukrainian food exports through the Black Sea, given its impact on global food security,” Putin argued that Western sanctions were the main reason for those disruptions.

According to the Kremlin, the two leaders agreed to stay in touch. However, the Elysée readout made no reference to any possible future calls — something that used to be a feature of such statements from the French president’s office.
#ANT 
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×