Putin calls for ending Ukrainian nationalists' crimes

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Russian President Vladimir Putin talked with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, his press office confirmed.

"The interlocutors raised the humanitarian situation in areas affected by the special operation to protect Donbass and Vladimir Putin briefed them on the real state of affairs," the Kremlin highlighted.

Putin told the leaders about the recent video conference involving Russian and Ukrainian negotiators. The trio talked about Russian security demands for Ukraine.

The German Chancellery said the phone conversation lasted for 75 minutes. Scholz and Macron called for an immediate ceasefire and efforts to solve the crisis diplomatically. Hours earlier, Scholz spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Putin urges Macron & Scholz to influence Kiev

The Russian President called on Macron and Scholz to influence Kiev with the aim of ending crimes committed by Ukrainian nationalist unions.

"Vladimir Putin urged Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz to influence the Kiev authorities so that such criminal actions would be stopped,” the Kremlin said.

The leaders agreed to continue contacts on the Ukrainian issue, it added.

Ukraine violating humanitarian law

According to the Kremlin, Putin cited numerous violations of the international humanitarian law by Ukrainian troops.

“He cited numerous facts of flagrant violations of the international humanitarian law by Ukrainian security forces, such as extrajudicial killings of dissidents, taking civilians as hostages and using them as human shield, deploying heavy artillery in residential neighborhoods,” the Kremlin statement read.

Putin warned that far-right Ukrainian battalions were systematically disrupting rescue operations and intimidating civilians as they sought to flee the armed conflict.