LONDON: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed the situation in Ukraine with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a telephone conversation and urged the West to pressure Kyiv to stop the “atrocities”, Russian news agencies said. .
Putin told Macron that the West could help put an end to “war crimes (and) the heavy shelling of towns and settlements in the Donbass”, which could lead to civilian casualties.
Russia denies alleged war crimes by its own forces in Ukraine and blames the civilian deaths on nationalists and “neo-Nazis”, a claim rejected by Kyiv and the West.
“West Kyiv can help put an end to these atrocities by exerting appropriate influence on the authorities and stopping the deliveries of weapons to Ukraine”, the RIA news agency said, citing the Kremlin.
Putin also told his French counterpart that Moscow was still open to talks with Ukraine.