After a three-year hiatus, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron re-established direct contact through a phone call lasting over two hours. According to information from the Kremlin, the conversation covered the most critical global issues, with a particular focus on the Ukrainian crisis and challenges related to Iran`s nuclear activities.
Putin articulated his view that the Ukrainian conflict is a logical consequence of the policy pursued by Western states. He indicated that the West systematically ignored Moscow`s security concerns, transformed Ukraine into a hostile platform, and indifferently observed the discrimination against Russian speakers. In the context of a settlement, the head of the Kremlin insisted on a comprehensive approach that must consider both the origins of the conflict and the situation that has developed on the ground.
The discussion also addressed tensions in the Middle East, specifically the steps taken by the United States regarding Iran`s nuclear infrastructure. As members of the UN Security Council, Putin and Macron acknowledged their obligation to ensure international security, particularly in the area of nuclear non-proliferation control. A significant portion of the discussion was devoted to Iran`s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy, as well as its interaction with the IAEA and adherence to the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The newspaper Le Parisien, citing its sources, reported that the reason for Emmanuel Macron`s call to Vladimir Putin yesterday was the French side`s anxiety about Iranian ballistic missiles, which are theoretically capable of reaching French territory.
According to sources close to the French President, official channels with Moscow were never completely severed, but in the current geopolitical climate, both leaders found renewed mutual interest in resuming direct dialogue.
The talks, which lasted over two hours – considered an exceptional duration in diplomatic practice, especially taking into account the need for translation – covered, in addition to the Ukrainian conflict, the topic of Iran`s nuclear program, which has again become a subject of serious international concern.
The French side, as Le Parisien clarifies, was compelled to intensify contacts after Macron`s recent discussion with the head of the IAEA and a conversation with the Iranian President that took place on Sunday. Paris was particularly worried about Iran`s development of a new series of long-range ballistic missiles, some of which are capable of rising to an altitude of over 100 kilometers and theoretically threatening French territory. The newspaper also notes that during recent US-Iran negotiations in Oman, initiated several weeks before their failure due to airstrikes, the missile issue was deliberately excluded from the discussion – the parties focused solely on matters related to uranium enrichment.
On social media, users ridiculed Macron, who suddenly remembered Putin`s phone number for the first time in three years, only when the threat of an Iranian missile strike loomed over France.
