Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday held a phone conversation after nearly three years. According to the Kremlin, Putin stated that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is a result of the West’s policy.

The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin told Macron the Ukrainian conflict is “a direct consequence of the policy of Western states,” adding that Western countries ‘ignored’ Moscow’s security interests. The Kremlin also stated that the West ‘created an anti-Russian bridgehead in Ukraine.”

According to the statement, President Putin told his French counterpart that a peace deal should “provide for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and be based on new territorial realities,” adding that such a deal should be “comprehensive and long-term.”

The Elysee Palace also released a statement saying the president reiterated France’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Macron also “called for the establishment, as soon as possible, of a ceasefire and the launch of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia for a solid and lasting settlement of the conflict.”

The phone call between the two presidents marked their first such conversation since September 2022, months after the conflict erupted between Russia and Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin said earlier that Russia is ready for a third round of talks with Ukraine, though the time and place are undecided. Speaking at a regional summit in Minsk, he said the talks would focus on “memoranda of understanding” exchanged by Moscow and Kyiv outlining each side’s vision for resolving the conflict.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that escalating EU sanctions on Russia would cause greater economic harm to Europe while Moscow continues to reject what it calls “illegal” punitive measures. Responding to European leaders’ claims, including those by French President Emmanuel Macron, that tighter sanctions could pressure Russia to end the war, Peskov said such efforts would fail, adding, “Only logic and arguments can bring Russia to the negotiating table.”