Telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Council President Charles Michel

Submitted on Wed, 09/08/2021 - 13:06

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

A detailed exchange of opinions focused on the situation in Afghanistan. Both parties underscored the importance of maintaining civic peace in the country and preventing violence, as well as launching a practical intra-Afghan dialogue in order to guarantee the Afghan state’s integrity, with due consideration for the interests of all groups of the population. They expressed readiness for cooperation in order to stabilise the situation and avoid the risk of spreading terrorism, extremism and illegal drug trafficking.

While discussing domestic Ukrainian crisis, they emphasised the need to invigorate talks between the warring parties in order to implement the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures, a basic document for the peace settlement to which there is no alternative. Vladimir Putin noted that the authorities in Kiev were stubbornly shying away from fulfilling their obligations, which are primarily to launch direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk and formalise the special status of Donbass. He also noted the provocative nature of the Ukrainian leaders’ intention to hold the so-called summit of the Crimean Platform, all the more so as the issue of returning Crimea to the Russian Federation was fully resolved as far back as March 2014. It was noted in this connection that the European Union continued to pursue a discriminatory policy against the peninsula’s residents.

The situation around Nagorno Karabakh was also discussed. At the request of Charles Michel, the President of Russia informed him about steps to implement the provisions of the trilateral agreements of 9 November 2020, and 11 January 2021.

It was agreed to maintain contact at various levels.