Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone on July 1, 2025, for the first time in nearly three years, discussing the escalating crisis in West Asia following recent U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, the two leaders emphasized their joint responsibility, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, to preserve stability in the West Asian region. Both presidents affirmed Iran’s right to pursue civilian nuclear energy under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), given its status as a non-nuclear weapons state.

Regarding Ukraine, Putin accused Western nations of fueling the conflict by neglecting Russia's security concerns and backing an anti-Russia stance in Ukraine. “The President again highlighted that the Ukraine conflict stemmed directly from the West’s policies, which overlooked Russia’s interests, promoted an anti-Russian stronghold in Ukraine, and tolerated the suppression of Russian-speaking populations,” the Kremlin said.

The last phone conversation between the two leaders occurred in September 2022, when they discussed Ukraine’s alleged attack on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.