Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said Moscow did not intend to attack nuclear plants in Ukraine and was open to engage in trilateral talks over the safety of such facilities.
During a call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Putin welcomed the idea of holding a meeting with representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Ukraine as “useful” and said it could be held by video link or in a third country.
The call, which a presidential official said lasted 1 hour 45 minutes and was at Macron’s request, was the fourth time they had spoken since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. It came after a tense call on March 3 which the Elysee said had left Macron feeling “the worst is to come” in Ukraine with Putin intent on seizing “the whole” of the country.
The French presidency said the call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday focused primarily on the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear plants.
Macron reiterated his call for Russia to stop its military operations and insisted on the need to protect the civilians and allow access to humanitarian aid.
The (humanitarian) situation is difficult including in Mariupol on Sunday, the official stressed. Our demands remain the same: we want Russia to respond to these demands… very quickly and clearly.
(With inputs from agencies)
