Elysee announced after a meeting between Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir that the conditions for launching a humanitarian operation to help residents of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has been besieged by the Russian military, “have not been met at this point.” According to Putin, AFP.
Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel MacronPhoto: EyePress News / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia Images
The expulsion, which was proposed last weekend by France, Turkey and Greece, was presented by the French president – who told his Russian ally that he would “think about it” before responding, the president added.
Until then, “efforts are unlikely to ease” because the situation in Mariupol is “dramatic” and “catastrophic” for the approximately 170,000 people who live there, according to him.
The Kremlin, for its part, explained to Vladimir Putin in his speech that “to resolve the difficult humanitarian situation in this city, Ukrainian nationalist militants must stop resisting and lay down their arms.”
In addition, Elysee declined to comment on the outcome of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, which were described as “substantial” by bilateral negotiators. “Our desire is to first integrate with the Ukrainians,” the president said, announcing the meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zhelensky.
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