French President Emmanuel Macron believes "the worst is to come" in Ukraine after a 90-minute phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin who appears intent on seizing "the whole" of the country, an aide to the French leader said.
"The expectation of the president is that the worst is to come, given what President Putin told him," a senior aide to the French leader told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"There was nothing in what President Putin told us that should reassure us. He showed great determination to continue the operation," the aide continued.
He added that Putin "wanted to seize control of the whole of Ukraine. He will, in his own words, carry out his operation to 'de-Nazify' Ukraine to the end."
"You can understand the extent to which these words are shocking and unacceptable and the president told him that it was lies," the aide said.
Macron also urged Putin to avoid civilian casualties and allow for humanitarian access.
"President Putin replied that he was in favor but without making any commitments," the aide said, adding that Putin had denied that the Russian military was targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Macron will again push for extra sanctions on Russia to increase the cost of the invasion, the aide said while denying any open tensions between the two men.
"President Putin has a way of talking that is very neutral and very clinical. He sometimes shows signs of impatience, but fundamentally there were no open signs of tensions during the exchanges," the aide said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
