Macron says talks with Putin yielded no progress on Ukraine ceasefire

ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday admitted that discussions with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin made no progress toward achieving a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.

"We shared our disagreements, and I can't say there was any progress in the discussion because a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations are needed first," Macron said during a brief press interaction.

He reiterated the "absolute cruciality" of the sanctions Europe is currently imposing and the ones prepared by the US.

"I first called him regarding the issue of Iran and the need to uphold the Non-Proliferation Treaty, something he committed to. It was important to secure that agreement because it is France’s responsibility to maintain that consistency," the French president said.

On Tuesday, Macron and Putin spoke over the phone and discussed Ukraine and the Middle East in the context of the Iran-Israel conflict and US strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

The call is the first between the two presidents in more than two years, with the last known in September 2022.