Belarus says President Lukashenko held call with France's Macron

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a key Russian ally, held a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Minsk said Sunday, in the first reported phone contact between the leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

"The heads of state discussed regional issues and Belarus' relations with the EU and with France in particular," a brief readout on the Belarusian presidency's website said, adding that the conversation took place "at the initiative of the French side".