The Russian president drew attention to the continuous supply of modern weapons into Ukraine by countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which in his opinion is pushing Kiev towards a military solution to the conflict in the southeast of the country.

He said that as a result, the civilian population of the region is suffering and is being evacuated to Russia to escape the intensifying bombardment.

According to Putin, Kiev only simulates participating in the negotiation process, when in fact it stubbornly refuses to implement the Minsk agreements and the decisions approved at the meetings of the Normandy format (Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany).

Putin and Macron considered it is necessary to intensify the search for solutions via diplomatic channels as a way to solve the current critical situation.

They stressed that such contacts can help restore the ceasefire and ensure progress in resolving the conflict in Donbass.

During the dialogue, the Russian president reiterated the need for the United States and NATO to take Moscow’s demands for security guarantees seriously and respond to them concretely and precisely. Both Putin and Macron agreed to continue contacts at various levels.

pgh/llp/jha/mml