French president Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged that his long-awaited conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin did little to shift the ground on either the war in Ukraine or the escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Speaking to the press in Paris, Macron revealed that the phone call, his first with the Russian leader in nearly three years, was driven primarily by recent developments involving Iran and the wider non-proliferation agenda.
“I called him first on the Iranian issue and the necessity of maintaining the non-proliferation treaty,” Macron said, referring to the recent US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities that have rattled global security watchers and triggered Tehran’s withdrawal from cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The French leader expressed concern over Iran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, following what it described as the agency’s failure to condemn illegal attacks. Tehran has accused the international watchdog of colluding with its adversaries and leaking the identities of nuclear scientists, many of whom have since been assassinated.
Macron framed the conversation with Putin as “important for France”, not least because both nations are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and share responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“It was crucial to reach an agreement, because France also bears responsibility for ensuring stability,” Macron said, making it clear that Paris remains committed to upholding global security architecture.
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However, the talk also touched on the protracted war in Ukraine, a topic that yielded no forward movement. Macron admitted as much, noting that his exchange with Putin echoed the lack of progress experienced by US president Donald Trump just a day prior during a similar phone call.
“We shared our disagreements. He believes there needs to be a ceasefire first to move on to the negotiation stage,” Macron said, reflecting the ongoing deadlock in diplomatic efforts aimed at halting the conflict.
The French president stood firm on the continuation of sanctions against Russia, describing them as essential tools of leverage in driving the negotiation process. “Sanctions are an essential part of pressure-building measures, which will help negotiators ultimately settle this conflict,” he said.
Macron’s call comes on the heels of a significant shift in his own position. After initially signalling an openness to deploying troops to Ukraine, he has since advocated a more cautious route, centred on broader regional diplomacy. During last week’s NATO summit at The Hague, Macron floated the idea of integrating Russia into a larger European security framework, a stance that has divided allies but reflects his long-term strategic thinking.
While the conversation between Paris and Moscow may not have unlocked any diplomatic doors for now, Macron appeared intent on keeping channels of communication open, both to ease nuclear tensions in the Middle East and to prepare the ground for eventual peace talks in Ukraine.
No further talks have been scheduled, but French diplomatic officials hinted that efforts to revive communication with Moscow will continue, particularly if Iran’s nuclear stand-off further destabilises the region.
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