Macron and Putin hold first call since 2022

Putin with President of France Emmanuel Macron | Photo by Kremlin | 2017

• French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on July 1 for over two hours—their first conversation since 2022.

• They discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine (including Moscow’s advances in Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts) and the conflict in the Middle East.

• The Kremlin said Putin blamed the war on Western policies that ignored Russia’s security interests and created an “anti-Russian bridgehead” in Ukraine.

• Macron reaffirmed France’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.

• Afterward, Macron also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That call was described as "constructive," with Zelenskyy’s office noting that Putin showed no willingness to end the war.

• The leaders also discussed tensions between Iran and Israel and recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.