The German chancellor said leaders in France and Germany had invited Vladimir Putin to hold “direct and serious talks” with Ukraine’s president.
Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Schulz spoke to the Russian president by phone for 80 minutes, the chancellery said, and the pair insisted on an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces.
According to the Kremlin, Putin said that Moscow was open to continuing dialogue with Kyiv, but did not indicate the possibility of direct talks between Putin and Zelensky.
The Ukrainian president had earlier said he “did not want” talks, but added that such talks would likely be needed to end the conflict.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have been negotiating remotely and in person on several occasions, but efforts have stalled recently.
Vladimir Putin on May 16 in the Kremlin.
Photo: Anton Novoderiskin/Sputnik via AFP
France and Germany also urged Putin to release 2,500 Ukrainian fighters captured during the siege of the Mariupol steel plants. (The vast factory was the last fortress in the southern port city, but Mariupol was bombed by Russian forces and is now in ruins.)
The leaders of France and Germany also asked Putin to lift the Russian blockade of the port of Odessa and allow the export of grain. The Kremlin says Putin is exploring options to deal with the global food crisis, in return for demanding that sanctions be lifted from the West.
Russia has warned France and Germany against increasing arms shipments to Ukraine, saying this could increase instability. (BBC)
