Macron Concerned About Trajectory of Iranian Nuclear Program

France's President Emmanuel Macron awaits the arrival of Madagascar's President for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron awaits the arrival of Madagascar's President for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)
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Macron Concerned About Trajectory of Iranian Nuclear Program

France's President Emmanuel Macron awaits the arrival of Madagascar's President for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron awaits the arrival of Madagascar's President for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concerns about the trajectory of the Iranian nuclear program, his office said in a statement on Saturday.

Macron also warned Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi about the consequences of delivering drones to Russia, Macron's office said.

In a phone call, Macron urged Iran to "immediately cease" the support it is giving Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Britain, France, Germany, the United States and Ukraine say the supply of Iranian-made drones to Russia violates a 2015 UN Security Council resolution enshrining the Iran nuclear deal.

The White House said on Friday that Russia appeared to be deepening its defense cooperation with Iran and had received hundreds of one-way attack drones that it is using to strike Ukraine.



Zelenskiy Says Ukraine's Membership of NATO is 'Achievable'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
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Zelenskiy Says Ukraine's Membership of NATO is 'Achievable'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

Ukraine's membership of NATO is "achievable", but Kyiv will have to fight to persuade allies to make it happen, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Ukrainian diplomats in a speech on Sunday.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged NATO to invite Kyiv to become a member. The Western military alliance has said Ukraine will join its ranks one day but has not set a date or issued an invitation.
Moscow has cited the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO as one of the principal justifications for its 2022 invasion. Kyiv says membership in the Western alliance's mutual defense pact, or an equivalent form of security guarantee, would be crucial to any peace plan to ensure that Russia does not attack again.
"We all understand that Ukraine's invitation to NATO and membership in the alliance can only be a political decision," Zelenskiy told diplomats at a gathering in Kyiv. "Alliance for Ukraine is achievable, but it is achievable only if we fight for this decision at all the necessary levels."
Zelenskiy said allies needed to know what Ukraine can bring to NATO and how its membership in the alliance would stabilize global relations, Reuters reported.
Last week, Zelenskiy urged European countries to provide guarantees to protect Ukraine after the war with Russia ends and said Ukraine would ultimately need more protection through membership of the alliance.