French President Emmanuel Macron spoke today with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the first time since September 2022, calling for a ceasefire "as soon as possible" in Ukraine and for coordination of actions to control Iran's nuclear program, the Elysee Palace said.
Macron "underlined France's unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and "called for the establishment, as soon as possible, of a ceasefire and the launch of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia with a view to a solid and lasting solution to the conflict," the statement said.
The Russian president has warned that any peace agreement in Ukraine must be "long-term".
For Vladimir Putin, the Ukrainian conflict is "a direct consequence of the policies of Western countries."
Regarding Iran, "the two presidents decided to coordinate their efforts and to meet soon to follow up on this issue together," the French presidency said.
Afghan ambassador arrives in Russia, first since Taliban return to power
The Afghan ambassador arrived in Moscow today, Russian media reported, marking the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, illustrating the continued rapprochement between Moscow and Kabul.
Unnamed sources told the Ria Novosti and TASS news agencies that Ambassador Gul Hasan has arrived in Moscow and will soon take up his post.
The previous Afghan ambassador to Moscow, Saeed Tayeb Jawad, appointed before the Taliban's return to power, served until April 2022. He was then replaced by a Taliban-appointed chargé d'affaires.
At the end of April this year, Russian diplomacy authorized the Taliban to appoint an ambassador to Moscow, another step aimed at strengthening ties between Russia and Kabul.
This came about with the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia in mid-April to remove the Taliban movement from Russia's list of designated terrorist organizations, which is another important symbolic step.
The Taliban captured Kabul on August 15, 2021, after the fall of the US-backed government, and a few days later, the complete withdrawal of US forces followed.
Since then, Moscow has begun to normalize relations with the new Afghan government, which it sees as a potential economic and counter-terrorism partner.
However, the Taliban has not been officially recognized by any country, especially due to the disastrous situation with women's rights in Afghanistan.
In addition to Russia, Pakistan, China, Iran and most Central Asian countries still maintain de facto diplomatic relations with the Taliban authorities.
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