Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron had not spoken since May 28. The Russian and French presidents had a telephone conversation this Friday, August 19 in the afternoon. Previously, the Elysée tenant had exchanges with Vladimir Putin in early May, early March and five times in February in the midst of rising tensions until the Kremlin offensive in Ukraine on February 24. He also went in person to Moscow on February 7 to meet Vladimir Putin. Multiple contacts which had earned him criticism, some accusing him of having maintained regular exchanges with the head of the Kremlin without managing to prevent the launch of an offensive against Ukraine. What did they say to each other and what did they agree on during their exchange on Friday?
Putin accepts international assignment at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
First step forward, Vladimir Putin accepted that an IAEA mission to the Zaporijia nuclear power plant, under Russian control in the south of Ukraine and target of recurring bombardments, goes through Ukraine and not Russia, announced the Elysee. President Putin has agreed to “review Moscow’s initial requirement” that such a mission go through Russia, the French presidency said. “He accepted that she (go there) respecting Ukrainian sovereignty and therefore passing through Ukraine under government control,” added the Elysée, stressing that it was a requirement of kyiv as from Paris.
“It is completely necessary, legitimate, essential for reasons of Ukrainian sovereignty”, hammered the French presidency. “It is out of the question that through the fait accompli of the Russian occupation of a certain number of Ukrainian territories (…) the international community or the IAEA bring the slightest form of legitimacy to this occupation by passing through Russia,” insisted an adviser to President Macron.
The Russian and French presidents called, at the end of this meeting, to organize “as soon as possible” an inspection of the Zaporizh plant by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in order to assess the location on site. Occupied since the beginning of March, this plant has been the target since the end of July of bombardments of which Moscow and kyiv accuse each other.
Sending IAEA experts will also require a “ceasefire”, “at least for the duration of the mission”, noted the Elysée. A diplomat nevertheless told AFP the same day that Westerners were mainly concerned about maintaining the water cooling of nuclear reactors, more than the impact of a shot on this plant “built to withstand” the worst impacts. , “even to the crash of an airliner”.
Putin fears a “major disaster” at the Zaporizhia power plant
During this interview, Vladimir Putin also “stressed that the systematic bombardment (…) of the territory of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant creates a danger of large-scale disaster which could lead to the radioactive contamination of vast territories”, d ‘after the Kremlin.
For his part, Emmanuel Macron said “once again his concern about the risks posed by the situation at the Zaporijia power plant for nuclear safety and security”, indicated the Elysee.
Macron sees no “obstacle” to Russian agricultural exports
Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron also discussedan agreement signed in Istanbul last month to unblock Ukrainian grain exports.
Moscow demands in exchange the lifting of restrictions on its exports of agricultural products and fertilizers, affected by Western sanctions targeting Russia since the launch of its offensive against Ukraine, and deplores “the obstacles that remain” – to use the words used by Vladimir Putin on Friday – in this area.
Allegations that France also immediately rejected, judging that there is on the part of Moscow “a desire to politically exploit this question”. “From our point of view, there is no legal obstacle linked to sanctions (Western against Russia, editor’s note), no operational obstacle to the export of Russian grain”, declared the French presidency at the end of the meeting. interview between Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin.