Russian president speak by phone with German, French leaders

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron called for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, a German government spokesperson said, according to Deutsche Welle (DW) English website.

Meanwhile, the Russian media said the Russian President called on the French and German leaders to influence Kyiv to force its nationalist battalions to stop committing crimes during the telephone conversation.

According to German media, the Kremlin said in a statement about the phone call that Putin informed the two leaders about the state of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv and responded to their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Also in a statement after the phone conversation, the Élysée Palace said that Russia expressed no intention to stop the war in Ukraine.

In the latest developments regarding the conflict, Ukraine's military said in a Facebook update Saturday that Russian forces had captured the eastern outskirts of the besieged port city of Mariupol, DW said in its report.

Moreover, Russia said on Saturday that it could target West’s arms convoys heading for Ukraine.