The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, had two separate “long telephone conversations” on Tuesday with his Russian counterparts Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian, Volodymir Zelensky, and called on Moscow to “negotiate in good faith” with Kiev, according to The Elysee.
“At the moment, there is no agreement, but the president (Macron) is convinced of the need to continue these efforts (negotiators). There is no other solution than a ceasefire and that there are negotiations in good faith on the part of Russia. The president is with Ukraine,” said the Elysee in a short statement.
Macron's negotiating effort coincided on Tuesday with a new round of contacts with European leaders. The French president spoke, separately and by telephone, with the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and with the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi.
In those contacts, they focused mainly on how to contain inflation in the community bloc and how to ensure its energy supply, which is threatened by the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
“There was talk of possible responses in the short and medium term to ensure European energy security and deal with rising prices, in the context of the targets set at the Versailles Summit (10 and 11 March) and in preparation for the European Council on 24 and 25 March,” said the French presidency.
In talks with Scholz and Draghi, Macron also discussed European “security challenges”, ahead of Thursday's NATO Summit and after the recent adoption of the new European strategic guide on security and defence that will lead to “common actions” of EU members.
SUMMIT IN BRUSSELS
“This week there are three important summits: the G7, NATO and the EU. New sanctions packages, new aid. We'll work, we'll fight as soon as we can. Until the end. Bravely and openly. On all these platforms with full energy,” President Zelensky reported, as reported by the Ukrinform news agency.
The president also assured that the Ukrainian representatives “are working on the negotiations”. “It's very difficult. Sometimes, scandalous. But we are moving forward step by step,” he added, according to the news agency Unian.
In view of these meetings in Brussels, the presidential spokesman, Sergei Nikiforov, assured that “no new security formats will be discussed”, but that Zelensky will ask at the extraordinary NATO summit, which will be held on March 24, to stop Russia's war crimes against the Ukrainian people and civilian infrastructure.
(With information from EFE and Europa Press)
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