Macron talks with Putin after 5 weeks... "Requests lifting of Ukraine food embargo"

Putin "EU Must Stop Supplying Weapons to Ukraine"
Russia Blocks Ukrainian Ports, Seizes Grain...Exports Plummet

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in five weeks to discuss the Ukraine situation and peace negotiations. President Macron reportedly demanded that Russia lift the food export ban on Ukraine to prevent a global food crisis.

According to AFP on the 3rd (local time), Presidents Macron and Putin had a phone call lasting over two hours, mainly discussing the Ukraine situation and peace negotiations. The French ?lys?e Palace stated, "President Macron demanded that Russia lift the food export ban blocking Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea, which was triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to resolve the global food crisis." It also said, "He mentioned that France will cooperate with international organizations regarding food issues going forward."

Since the outbreak of the war, Russian forces have blockaded major Black Sea port cities they occupied and reportedly looted grain stored at the ports. According to CNN, Ukraine's Ministry of Agriculture pointed out that grain exports, which reached 6 million tons per month before the war, dropped to 300,000 tons in March, and grain stored at major ports has not been shipped due to the Russian blockade. The United Nations also stated that about 4.5 million tons of grain have not been exported due to Russia's blockade.

Regarding President Macron's proposal, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized, "The West must first stop supplying weapons to Ukraine," and added, "Although Ukraine is conducting peace negotiations with inconsistent attitudes, Russia is always open to dialogue."

The two leaders also discussed issues such as peace negotiations and civilian evacuations. President Macron reportedly stressed the need to continue allowing civilian evacuations from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, southern Ukraine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.