From: 03/29/2022 21:05
A ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian soldiers from Ukraine – these are the demands of the heads of state and government of the US, Germany, France, Britain and Italy to Putin after a joint phone call.
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. “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,” Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz’s spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said.
“High Sanction Pressure” must be maintained
The quintet also called on Putin to finally allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to Ukraine and establish effective humanitarian corridors through which residents can leave or receive supplies from contested areas – especially in the city of Mariupol, which has been under siege for weeks. 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.
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 said after talks with Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron, as well as Scholz and Prime Minister Mario Draghi. There was an agreement that the pressure on Russia must not ease before “the horror that is being brought to Ukraine” comes to an end, the statement continued.
The Élysée Palace in Paris said the group of five had reaffirmed the need to maintain a channel of communication with the Kremlin through Macron and in consultation with Ukraine. During the meeting, it was also agreed which message Macron would send to Putin immediately afterwards. In addition to the need for an operation to help the people of Mariupol, Macron addressed the Russian demand for payment for its energy supply in rubles, which was unanimously rejected. It was also about the latest state of the peace consultations.
France’s Mariupol Initiative Failed
France initially failed with its initiative to evacuate the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which had been hotly contested for weeks. The conditions to bring thousands of civilians stranded in the city to safety “are not available at this stage”, the Presidential Office in Paris said after Macron’s talks with Putin.
Macron announced a joint initiative with Turkey and Greece over the weekend to organize an evacuation campaign from Mariupol. However, he only promised to “think about it”. Instead, Putin called on Ukrainian forces in Mariupol to surrender. “To find a solution to the difficult humanitarian situation in this city, Ukrainian nationalist fighters must stop their resistance and lay down their arms,” Putin said after the phone call with Macron.