It was the two leaders’ first call since 2022, and the Russian president’s first with any major European leader since last year.

Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin spoke Tuesday by telephone for the first time in over two-and-a-half years, with the French president urging a ceasefire in Ukraine but Russia’s leader hitting back by blaming the West for the conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a "substantial" phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on the Iran-Israel conflict and Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, the first such exchange between the two leaders since September 2022.