Russian President Vladimir Putin, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a trilateral telephone conversation for the first time since mid-March on Saturday to discuss the conflict in Ukraine and the food crisis.
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According to the German authorities, it took place at the initiative of Berlin and Paris and lasted about 80 minutes. The main topics of the conversation, the Kremlin said on Saturday, were the situation in Ukraine and world food security.
Putin emphasized the openness to resume dialogue with kyiv and the readiness to increase exports of agricultural products and fertilizers, subject to the lifting of sanctions.
⚡️A telephone conversation was held between the President����Vladimir #PutinPresident���� Emmanuel Macron, and Foreign Minister���� Olaf Scholz, on the latest developments in the context of the Russian special operation in Ukraine.
Statement in Spanish: https://t.co/5AKxo6Tw9E pic.twitter.com/sJodL4Tj8y
— Russia in Peru �������� (@RusEmbPeru)
May 28, 2022
The Russian leader’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that Putin, Macron and Scholz agreed to continue to maintain contacts by phone.
The conversation took place against the background of increased contacts between Moscow and Western countries after a two-week break: on Thursday, Putin spoke with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and on Friday with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
One of the main topics of the conversation was the situation in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Putin briefed his colleagues in detail on “recent developments”, also highlighting the observance of international humanitarian norms by the Russian army.
The Russian head of state spoke about the establishment of a peaceful life in the liberated cities of Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, including the strategic port of Mariupol.
Macron and Scholz called on Putin to release the Ukrainian military and security forces who surrendered last week at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.
In all, more than 2,400 militiamen laid down their arms at the steel mill, including militants from the pro-Nazi Azov nationalist formation.
The Russian leader, according to the Kremlin, also “pointed out the problem” of injecting Western weapons into Ukraine, warning that this could lead to further destabilization of the situation and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
At the same time, Macron and Scholz, according to German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, “insisted on the immediate establishment of a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops” and called on Putin for “serious direct negotiations” with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
Another important issue was the deteriorating food situation in the world, which Putin has already discussed with the leaders of Austria and Italy.
In the conversation with Macron and Scholz, Putin confirmed the Russian position: the supply problems were the result of the mistakes of the West and its sanctions against Moscow, which is ready to facilitate the unimpeded export of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports. and increase your own supplies, including fertilizers.
The latter, the Kremlin emphasized, “will of course require the removal of relevant sanctions restrictions.”
It is not specified what sanctions he is referring to, but earlier the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, explained to journalists that they were referring to “those illegal decisions that prevent the chartering of ships, the export of grain, etc. . .”
According to Hebestreit, Putin “declared his intention to allow the export of cereals from Ukraine”, including by sea, and the three agreed that the United Nations should play a central role in the relevant agreements.