In their first call in nearly three years, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin discussed the situation in Iran while remaining divided over the ongoing war in Ukraine. The two-hour conversation was prompted by the recent U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear sites.
Both leaders, as members of the United Nations Security Council, expressed a shared concern for "preserving the global nuclear nonproliferation regime," according to a Kremlin statement. The call marked a significant moment for both leaders, who felt sidelined by the U.S. actions in Iran.
For Macron, the call represented an effort to regain international influence in the Middle East. For Putin, it was an opportunity to assert Russia's role in global geopolitics despite international condemnation following his invasion of Ukraine. This conversation was also Putin's first with a major European Union leader since speaking with former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November of the previous year.
Putin has sought to leverage the Israel-Iran conflict to break his diplomatic isolation, positioning Russia as a potential mediator due to its relationships with both Iran and Israel. Macron had previously visited Moscow three weeks before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, attempting to use diplomacy to prevent the conflict.
During the call, Macron reiterated France's "unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and urged for a cease-fire. However, according to Kremlin statements, Putin remained steadfast in his stance on Ukraine, attributing the war's origins to Western actions.
Putin emphasized that any peace agreement must address the "root causes" of the conflict, referencing NATO's presence in Eastern Europe and seeking extensive concessions before halting hostilities. Following the call, Macron communicated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, both before and after his discussion with Putin.
Both leaders agreed to coordinate their efforts regarding Iran, while the Élysée Palace noted that they would continue discussions about Ukraine. This dialogue occurred as former President Trump, who has spoken with Putin multiple times this year, appeared to retreat from his efforts to broker peace in Ukraine, following Putin's recent offer to mediate the conflict between Iran and Israel.