Macron doesn't rule out agreeing to conversation with Putin

French President Emmanuel Macron has conceded that he may have a telephone conversation with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

As reported by French newspaper Le Figaro, the French president stressed that he had "never ruled out" resuming talks with the Kremlin leader.

At the same time, Macron emphasised that he would do so "when the context and conditions are right".

In light of the latest large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine, Macron said Putin "does not want peace" and "is not ready to negotiate it".

"After this attack, one of the most intense since the beginning of the conflict, I believe it's clear that Putin's intention is to intensify the fighting," he said.

In this context, Macron added, "we must honour our commitments to the Ukrainians; in other words, enable them to wage this war of resistance, and deliver weapons and equipment".

Commenting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's call to Putin, Macron said, "I think that every leader is absolutely free to take their own initiatives".

On the afternoon of 15 November, it was reported that Scholz had spoken to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in two years. At the time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy labelled the call a "Pandora's box".

In his turn, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that the latest large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine proved the ineffectiveness of telephone diplomacy.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated that he had no plans to speak to Putin himself.