Emmanuel Macron spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky “for an urgent appeal”
The French president and his Ukrainian counterpart spoke on the phone on Monday. During a speech in Paris for the international conference in support of Moldova, a collateral victim of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron explained this appeal by “the context which continues to be very difficult”with “the bombardments that Ukraine has again suffered, the threats hanging over the Zaporijia power plant”.
According to the presidency, it “said his deep concern” as to “new shots against the central” in Ukraine, which Moscow and kyiv accuse each other of having bombed. MM. Macron and Zelensky “recalled that it was the illegal occupation of the plant by Russia which was at the origin of the current situation” and “Agreed on the importance of continuing efforts with the IAEA [Agence internationale de l’énergie atomique] to reach an agreement that ensures the absence of military forces, regular or mercenary, and of light or heavy weapons in the protection zone”reported the Elysée.
“They underlined that the security and safety of all nuclear power plants must be ensured, including those of Rivne and Khmelnytsky, which had been the subject of fire, as well as essential infrastructure for operation, such as the dam of Kakhovka, also targeted”added the presidency.
During his speech, President Macron estimated that at “every military victory of Ukraine, the reconquest of the Kharkiv region such as the recapture of Kherson, Russia reacts with new bombardments of the essential infrastructures of Ukraine”. According to the Elysée, he has “reaffirmed its solidarity with Ukraine and its strong condemnation of Russian strikes against civilian targets”.