Europe 1 with AFP 21:56 p.m., April 01, 2023

In a telephone conversation on Saturday, Emmanuel Macron discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky "the diplomatic efforts to be made to organize a summit on peace". The head of state "reiterated his support for Ukraine to put an end to Russian aggression," said the French presidency.

French President Emmanuel Macron discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky "diplomatic efforts to organize a peace summit," in a telephone conversation Saturday. The two heads of state made "an update on the military situation in Ukraine" and Emmanuel Macron "reiterated his support for Ukraine to put an end to Russian aggression," said the French presidency in a statement.

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A one-hour discussion

For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that he and his counterpart had looked "at the next steps to implement" his ten-point peace plan. "We have coordinated actions for upcoming international events," he added.

"We discussed in detail for an hour. We talked about the situation on the front line, our political cooperation, and how to move forward with the implementation of Ukraine's peace project. I thank the France for its constant support," Zelensky added in his daily message to his fellow citizens. The two men also discussed "the worrying situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant occupied by the Russian armed forces" since March 2022, Paris said.

A few days after Grossi's visit to Ukraine

This exchange comes a few days after the visit to Ukraine of Rafael Grossi, director of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), "with whom President Macron will meet soon," according to the Elysee, which indicates that Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky stressed "the importance of supporting the action of the IAEA on the spot".

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Rafael Grossi visited the Zaporizhzhia plant on Wednesday, seeking a solution acceptable to Kiev and Moscow to secure the site in southeastern Ukraine. The director of the IAEA, who spent a few hours there before returning to the territories under Ukrainian control, wants to work on "principles" to minimize the risk of nuclear "catastrophe".