French President Vladimir Putin's call was made at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
French President Emmanuel Macron, at the request of Vladimir Zelensky, phoned Vladimir Putin on Thursday evening, February 24, 2022. Macron asked Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, but the conversation ended in vain that the conversation with the Russian president was «frank, direct and quick».
Macron said he called on behalf of Zelensky to ask Putin to stop hostilities and speak with the Ukrainian president, who failed to contact the Russian leader. Putin repeatedly refused to communicate directly with Zelensky.
«This did not produce any results. The President of Russia has chosen war»,” Macron said.
«I am obliged to take such initiatives when Ukraine asks for it… and then – even when we condemn, sanction and continue to act – to leave this the way is open so that whenever the conditions are met, we can achieve a cessation of hostilities», the French president added.
The Kremlin said that Putin gave Macron «exhaustive» explanation of the reasons for Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden said he had no plans to talk to Putin.