Putin tells Macron West should stop sending arms to Ukraine to end atrocities

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the West to halt its arms deliveries to Ukraine to help end ongoing atrocities in the former Soviet country.

Putin made the remarks in a phone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday, as the two presidents discussed the situation in Ukraine.

The Russian president also noted that EU member states had ignored the "war crimes committed by Ukrainian forces" and the massive shelling of cities in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donbass region, which he said had resulted in civilian losses.

"The West could help put an end to these atrocities by exerting appropriate influence on the Kiev authorities and by halting arms deliveries to Ukraine," the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying.

Western states have stepped up their military support for Ukraine, sending a wide variety of defensive weapons meant to hold off Russia's advance.

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On Tuesday, the UK promised to supply another £300 million in military aid to Ukraine. The UK has previously dispatched around £450 million in military equipment to Kiev in several stages.

The US Congress is also considering a $33-billion military aid package for Ukraine.

Putin further asserted that Russia "remains open to dialog" despite all the "inconsistencies in Kiev's position" and its "unwillingness" to take this process seriously.

The two presidents agreed to maintain contact at various levels, the Kremlin said.

Macron called on Russia to stop its military offensive in Ukraine, according to a statement by the Élysée Palace. The French president said he was ready to help achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict that respected Ukraine's sovereignty.

Macron also called for a ceasefire, saying he was available to work with "competent international organizations" to help lift Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports so that it could resume food exports.

He also asked Putin to allow the further evacuation of civilians from the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

On April 25, Russia announced a ceasefire around the giant fortress-like Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol to allow a civilian evacuation from the flashpoint industrial area. It is estimated by Moscow that some 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and fighters are holed up inside the plant. Hundreds of civilians are reportedly sheltering with the Ukrainian troops inside.

However, the evacuation process was stalled on Monday, the city council said, without giving a reason for the delay.

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Putin announced the military offensive in Ukraine on February 24. Since then, more than five million people have fled the Eastern European country, and thousands have been killed.

Moscow is now pushing for complete control of the Donbass region, where pro-Russia forces held parts of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces even before the military offensive.

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