After a joint phone call to Ukraine, the heads of state and government of the US, Germany, France, Britain and Italy pledged more active support and harshly condemned the Russian attack. The quintet also called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to finally allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and establish effective humanitarian corridors through which residents can leave contested areas.
Specifically, the city of Mariupol, which had been under siege for weeks, was mentioned here. “They again urged Russian President Putin to agree to a ceasefire, cease all hostilities, withdraw Russian soldiers from Ukraine and allow for a diplomatic solution to the crisis,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman said. The high pressure of sanctions against Russia will be maintained, he said. Measures to ensure energy security and counter high energy prices were also discussed.
Paris said the group of five reiterated the need to maintain a channel of communication with the Kremlin through French President Emmanuel Macron and in consultation with Ukraine. At the meeting, it was also agreed which message Macron would send to Putin.
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After the conversation, it was announced that a planned evacuation mission to the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol was still open. Faced with the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the city, Macron insisted on the need for a ceasefire to supply and evacuate the population, according to the Élysée Palace. Putin listened and promised to think about the change and go back to Macron.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted on intransigence towards Russia. According to a statement, the Putin government should be judged by its actions and not its words, Johnson emphasized after talks with Presidents Joe Biden and Macron, as well as Scholz and Prime Minister Mario Draghi. There was an agreement that the pressure on Russia should not ease before “the horror being brought to Ukraine” comes to an end, the statement continued.