After call with Putin, Macron thinks worst is yet to come in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron is "pessimistic" after his exchange with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and Macron thinks that "the worst is yet to come" in Ukraine.

The French and Russian presidents spoke on Thursday morning for nearly an hour-and-a-half over telephone. Putin stuck to his guns and refused any "compromise", BFMTV reported, quoting a spokesman for Macron.

The Russian President expressed "his great determination" to continue his offensive, the aim of which is "to take the control" of the whole country, the Elysee reported, according to BFMTV.

During the discussion, the Russian President told his French counterpart that the operation of the Russian army is developing "according to the plan" and that it is going to be "worse "if the Ukrainians do not accept his conditions", the French presidency said.

Putin also confirmed that he intended to carry out a "denazification" of Ukraine, as he had announced ahead of the beginning of the war.

"The President's (Macron) intuition is that the worst is yet to come given what President Putin told him," according to the Elysee.

"The Russian ambition is to take all of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's war aims have not changed," said the same source, BFMTV reported.

--IANS

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