Macron talked with Putin again: they discussed the issue of evacuation from Mariupol

French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the issue of evacuation from Mariupol was discussed.

This was stated by a representative of the Elysee Palace following the conversation, Le Figaro reports.

The conditions for starting a humanitarian operation in the coming days to provide assistance to residents of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, besieged by the Russian army, "have not been created at this stage," the Elysee Center said.

Macron presented the evacuation operation, which was proposed by France, Turkey, and Greece, to his Russian counterpart, who said he would "think about it" before responding, a spokesperson for the Elysee Palace added.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that if the West did nothing to help Mariupol, it would be its collective fault.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would "not use" US President Joe Biden's words, calling Putin a butcher, in order to maintain a dialogue with the Russian president.