War in Ukraine: Macron expects ‘direct contact’ with Putin ‘in the coming days’

It’s been a few weeks since they spoke, their last phone call is dated 9/11. Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that he would have “direct contact” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “in the coming days” on civilian nuclear energy and the Zaporozhye power plant, which Moscow and Kyiv mutually blame each other for bombing.

“I intend to enter into direct contact with him in the coming days on the issues of civilian nuclear energy in the first place and the Zaporozhye power plant after an exchange of views” with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, the French President confirmed to the press during a visit to the Salon des Maires at the Parc des Expositions in Paris without specifying the form of this “direct contact”.

Russia wants to ‘drive the people to despair’, Macron says

Ukrainian operator Energoatom announced that three nuclear power plants in the country were “off” from the grid on Wednesday after Russian strikes on the energy infrastructure led to widespread power outages. “Russia’s strategy is to drive people to despair on the ground,” Emmanuel Macron assured.

“Our elected officials also have a role to play,” the French president added, recalling that on December 13, France will hold a “conference for Ukrainian resistance and resilience” in Paris. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday urged French mayors to help his country to stop Russia from using the cold this winter “as a weapon of mass destruction.”