Macron spoke with Putin by phone after three years.
The phone call between President Macron and President Putin lasted over two hours, discussing issues in Ukraine and the Middle East.
According to RIA Novosti, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for the first time in almost three years.
"President Vladimir Putin's phone call with Emmanuel Macron was very significant," the Kremlin press service reported on July 1.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, President Putin reiterated that it is a direct consequence of Western policy.
"For years, Western countries have ignored Russia's security interests, creating an anti-Russian bridgehead in Ukraine, continuing to violate the rights of Russian-speaking residents, and are now leading a protracted war, pushing Kyiv forward with various modern weapons," President Putin said.
According to Putin, Russia maintains a principles-based approach to viable agreements for resolving the Ukrainian conflict, and these must be long-term solutions that address the root causes and are based on reality.
The French and Russian leaders also discussed the confrontation between Iran and Israel, as well as the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
President Putin and the French President acknowledged Russia's and France's responsibility in maintaining peace in the Middle East and upholding the nuclear non-proliferation regime. They stressed the importance of respecting Tehran's legitimate right to peaceful nuclear energy and continuing to fulfill their international obligations, including cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Leaders advocate that the crisis surrounding Iran's program should be resolved through political and diplomatic means. Moscow and Paris continue to communicate to coordinate positions on the situation in the Middle East.
The Elysee Palace added that President Macron intends to continue negotiations with the Russian leader. According to RTL radio, the conversation lasted more than two hours.
A representative of the UN Secretary-General said that the world welcomed the conversation between the Russian and French leaders, especially since it took place at the highest level.
The last time President Putin and President Macron spoke by phone was on September 11, 2022. The leaders had not been in contact for 1024 days.
