Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Russian President Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, that military operations will continue in Ukraine, with a 90-minute phone call initiated by Putin, according to a source in the Elysee Palace.
“Unfortunately, the conversation was appropriate to hear that President Putin will continue his military interventions and will continue them until the end,” the source told reporters.
The source added, “The contact allowed the President of the Republic to raise contentious points with Russia again and to seek diplomatic alternatives to the military operation and to inform President Putin of the reality of our view of the war in Ukraine and the consequences that Russia will bear in the long run.”
And there was a “frank exchange of views between Yutin and Macron on the situation in Ukraine,” according to the official Russian news agency (TASS).
A report published by Russia’s official RIA Novosti news agency indicated that the talks were “difficult”, in which Putin mentioned that Ukraine had practiced “seven years of sabotaging” the Minsk agreements.
The two presidents agreed to keep the door for dialogue open, according to what the French and the Russians said.
Putin warned the West that Moscow would have new demands from Kyiv if talks between Russia and Ukraine continued, and that military operations would continue anyway, according to the Russian agency.
The Russian president denied that he had bombed the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and warned that the situation would get worse, blaming Ukraine for responsibility.
On the other hand, Macron warned Putin that he was making a “fatal mistake”, according to the source, who revealed that the French president had told his Russian counterpart that Moscow’s demands to neutralize Ukraine and disarm it were “unacceptable” and that the entire responsibility for this war rests with Putin.
Meanwhile, the French president stressed that there is still time for diplomacy and dialogue to discuss Russia’s concerns and interests but noted that dialogue cannot take place “under Russia’s control” and must be organized by international partners, according to the source.
Macron asked Putin to respect Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, his family, relatives, Ukrainian government officials and elected representatives, the source said.
After his call with Putin, the French president made a call with his Ukrainian counterpart.