The French president conveys to Putin his concern about the safety of nuclear reactors
Inflexible. This is how Russian President Vladimir Putin showed himself in a one-hour and 45-minute telephone conversation that he had this Sunday with the French head of state Emmanuel Macron. Putin is convinced that he will achieve his goals in Ukraine “either by negotiation or by war,” sources from the Elysee Palace explained.
The French president conveyed to Putin his concern about the safety of nuclear reactors in Ukraine, after the recent Russian attack and takeover of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in the country.
Putin, for his part, assured that Moscow has “no intention” of attacking Ukrainian nuclear power plants and promised, according to the Elysee, to guarantee the safety of these facilities in accordance with the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA).
Macron also demanded that Putin “respect international humanitarian law, the protection of civilian populations and the provision of humanitarian aid,” according to a statement from the Elysee.
The Kremlin strongman blamed the Ukrainian nationalists for having “prevented” the evacuation of Mariupol, a city actually besieged by Russian troops.
The French president reminded Putin “of the importance of a negotiated solution, fully acceptable to the Ukrainians.” And he expressed concern about “an imminent attack on the city of Odessa.”
Macron, whose country is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and which has the rotating presidency of the European Union this semester, maintains open communication with Putin. Since mid-December, he has spoken with the Kremlin strongman a dozen times by phone, and on February 7 they met in person in Moscow.
The French president thus tries to convince Putin to give up his weapons, protect civilians and make gestures to avoid a humanitarian drama. Macron seeks to “obtain a ceasefire as soon as possible” so that negotiations between Russians and Ukrainians can begin. But, for the moment, Putin does not give his arm to twist.
The Russian president reiterated this Sunday before Macron his demands to Kiev and the international community for the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict: the “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine, the recognition of Russian Crimea and the recognition of the independence of the Dombass. Putin also demands guarantees from the West that Ukraine will have a neutral status and that it will not enter NATO or the European Union.
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