Macron hopes to convince Putin to end military actions around the globe amid COVID-19 pandemic
In an interview with Radio France Internationale, French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed hope that he would manage to reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to completely stop military operations around the world amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Macron said the truce during the pandemic was his initiative.
"I spoke to him (Putin) at the very beginning, when I put forward this initiative. I haven't spoken to him until I've received strong confirmation from other leaders, but I'll talk to him in the next few hours," he said.
Macron believes Putin "must agree."
"And when he agrees, we will be able to hold such a video conference and convey this agreement solemnly, decisively and effectively," the French president said.
Macron said he had already received support from all other permanent members of the UN Security Council: Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Earlier, the UN Secretary General called for a cease-fire in Donbas and focus on the fight against COVID-19.
In addition, former U.S. Ambassadors to Ukraine William Taylor, John Herbst and Steven Pifer said that the COVID-19 crisis could provide an opportunity to "resolve the only hot war in Europe and counter Russian President Vladimir Putin's attacks on international norms of behavior."
They suggested offering Putin an agreement to end the agression in eastern Ukraine in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.