Putin to Macron: I will achieve my goals either by negotiation or by war

LAST UPDATE: 21.03

“It will achieve its goals” in Ukraine “either by negotiation or by war”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today to his French counterpart Emanuel Macron, according to what the Elysee Palace announced after the telephone conversation between the two leaders.

Macron found that “is very determined to achieve its goals “, that is, the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine – as Putin called it – but also the recognition of the independence of Crimea and Donbass, demands that are “unacceptable to the Ukrainians,” according to Paris.

Putin “denied that his army was targeting civilians,” according to the Elysee. He also said it was the Ukrainians’ responsibility to “let the population leave the besieged cities”, to which Macron replied that “the army that attacked was Russian” and that “there is no reason to believe that Ukrainian forces are danger to citizens “.

The French president also expressed concern about a possible attack on Odessa and stressed the importance of finding a negotiated settlement and protecting Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.

Putin said today that the campaign in Ukraine continues according to plan and will not end until Kyiv stops fighting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday blamed Ukrainian radicals for an March 3 incident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the Kremlin said, according to Reuters.

French President Emmanuel Macron telephoned Putin to ask about the fire at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

“Vladimir Putin informed (Macron) of the provocation by Ukrainian radicals in the area of ​​the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” the Kremlin said. “Radiation levels are normal.”

Putin also accused Ukraine of preventing civilians from leaving Mariupol.

“I will not hit nuclear power plants”

Vladimir Putin today assured French President Emanuel Macron that Russian forces would not launch an attack on nuclear power plants, the Elysee reported.

In a 1-hour, 45-minute telephone conversation between the two leaders at noon, Macron reiterated his “strong concern” for the safety of the nuclear facility following the March 4 bombing of Zaporozhye, the largest in Europe. He insisted that there was an “urgent need” for concrete measures to be taken, according to a statement issued by the Elysee Palace.

Putin assured that “it is not his intention to carry out attacks on nuclear power plants.” He also said he was “ready to respect the rules of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, for the protection of these stations.”

Putin also agreed to hold a dialogue “between the IAEA, Ukraine and Russia” on the safety of nuclear power plants, according to Paris.

Tomorrow, Monday, at the meeting of the IAEA board, the director of Rafael Grossi is expected to make concrete proposals for the safety of the Ukrainian nuclear facilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett spoke by telephone with Russian President Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone today with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, with whom he discussed the “special military operation” in Ukraine, according to a Kremlin statement.

Moscow said the discussion focused on “recent contacts” Bennett had with “the leaders of a number of countries”.

Earlier, the Israeli prime minister said his country would continue its mediation efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Israeli Foreign Minister Jair Lapid will meet tomorrow, Monday, in Riga, Latvia, with his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken.

Putin-Erdogan conversation

In addition to Macron, Putin had talks with his Turkish counterpart. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a telephone conversation this afternoon with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan that Russia will stop its “military operation” only if Ukraine stops fighting and Moscow’s demands are met, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin said the operation was proceeding according to a timetable and that he hoped the Ukrainian negotiators would take a more constructive approach to the talks and take into account the reality on the ground, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Fill in how Moscow is ready for dialogue with Ukraine and foreign partners.

Putin “drew attention to the fact that Kyiv continues to disregard the agreements reached on these humanitarian issues,” adding that “Ukrainian nationalists prevented the evacuation of civilians” on Saturday from Mariupol and Volnovaka, a nearby town. the Kremlin.

For his part, Erdogan, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency, called on the Russian president to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement.

In a statement issued after an hour-long telephone conversation, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan had stressed to Putin that Ankara was ready to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, adding that a ceasefire would allay concerns about condition.

“President Erdogan has renewed his call for ‘paving the way for peace together,'” his office said. “Erdogan stressed the importance of taking urgent measures to reach a ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement.”

Putin, according to Reuters, told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan by telephone that Ukrainian negotiators they will have to take a more “constructive” approach to the talks with Moscow in order to take into account the reality on the ground.

Putin, whose comments were published by the Kremlin in a reading of the telephone communication, said that his “special operation” in Ukraine is developing according to the plan and schedule.

The Kremlin leader told Erdogan that Moscow was open to dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities, but that he hoped the Ukrainian negotiators would take a more constructive approach in the next round of talks.

The Kremlin also called attention to the futility of any attempt to delay the negotiation process, which is being used by Ukrainian security forces to rebuild their forces and resources.

It was also stated that “it is hoped that during the next round of negotiations scheduled, the representatives of Ukraine will show a more constructive approach, taking full account of the emerging realities.”

Telephone communication Draghi-Zelensky – “Italy shares the fact that Ukraine belongs to the European family”

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this afternoon.

According to the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi once again expressed the deep solidarity of the Italian people with the Ukrainian people.

At the same time, he condemned the Russian attacks on civilians and nuclear infrastructure, reiterated Italy’s willingness to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and its people, and reiterated that his country shares Ukraine’s membership of the European family.

President Zelenski thanked Mario Draghi for Italy’s proximity and solidarity.