On the first day of the month, Russian President Putin spoke by phone with French President Macron for the first time in nearly three years, and both sides expressed their support for solving the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic means.
The Elysee Palace, the office of the French President, stated in a press release that Macron and Putin spoke for more than two hours. According to RIA Novosti news agency, the last conversation between the two leaders was on September 11th, 2022, more than half a year after the escalation of the Ukraine crisis.
The Kremlin, the office of the Russian President, reported that the leaders of both countries unanimously supported the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue and other conflicts in the Middle East through political diplomacy. They emphasized the importance of respecting Iran’s legitimate right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and Iran’s continued fulfillment of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, including cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Regarding the Ukraine crisis, the Elysee Palace stated that Macron called for a ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible, as well as negotiations to find a solid and lasting solution. The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying that the Ukraine crisis was a direct consequence of Western policies that had ignored Russia’s security interests for years and were now prolonging the hostility by providing modern weapons to Ukraine.
When discussing the prospect of a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis, Putin emphasized that Russia would adhere to fundamental positions that could be reached through consensus, which should be comprehensive and long-lasting, aiming to eliminate the root causes of the Ukraine crisis.