Putin to Macron: West can use its influence to stop atrocities in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a telephone conversation on Tuesday, Russian news agencies reported, calling on the West to press Kiev to stop "atrocities."
Putin told Macron that the West could help end war crimes and intensive shelling of towns and communities in Donbass, resulting in civilian casualties, Reuters reports.
Russia denies allegations of war crimes by its forces in Ukraine, blaming so-called nationalists and "neo-Nazis" for the deaths of civilians, a claim denied by Kiev and the West.
"The West can help put an end to these atrocities by exerting appropriate influence on the Kiev authorities and stopping sending weapons to Ukraine," the Kremlin was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency.
"President Putin has said that the West can help stop these atrocities by exerting appropriate influence on the Kiev authorities, as well as by stopping the supply of weapons to Ukraine," the Kremlin said in a statement, adding that Kiev "lacks the willingness to work seriously in peace talks."
"Putin briefed Macron on the progress made in the military operation in Ukraine and the evacuation of civilians from Azov Stahl in Mariupol," he said, noting that "Putin informed Macron of the EU countries' disregard for war crimes committed by Ukrainian forces."
"Macron expressed to Putin his concern about the problem of ensuring global food security, while Putin told Macron that problems related to global food security were caused by Western sanctions," he said.
"Putin stated that the West could help stop Ukrainian atrocities by exerting appropriate influence on the Kiev authorities, as well as by stopping the supply of weapons to Ukraine," the Kremlin said, stressing that Kiev "lacks the willingness to work seriously in peace talks, and macron has been informed that Russia remains open to dialogue with Ukraine."
The phone call followed discussions between Macron and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky last Saturday, and more than two months after the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, in which Macron pledged to increase military and humanitarian assistance to Kiev.
The two Presidents spoke periodically in the first weeks following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the last call between the two parties on 29 March.
Since February 24, Russian forces have been carrying out a special military operation in Ukraine, whose objectives of disarmament from Ukraine, the elimination of Nazi tendencies in the country, and the protection of citizens of the popular republics of Lugansk and Donetsk have been set by Moscow.
