Macron urges Putin to end military operations, Putin says Russia to reach aims

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Russia's military operations in Ukraine and to ensure the protection and security of Ukraine's nuclear sites, said an official from Macron's office.

The French official confirmed that Macron had held a phone exchange of nearly two hours on Sunday with Putin.

Macron also told Putin during the phone call on Sunday of his concerns about a possible imminent attack on the Ukrainian city of Odessa, according to the statement from Macron's office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Sunday that Moscow planned to achieve its aims in Ukraine either through diplomacy or military means, the Elysee said.

Russia would reach its objectives in Ukraine "either through negotiation or through war", Putin told Macron according to a French presidential official, adding the Russian president also pledged "it was not his intention" to attack Ukrainian nuclear sites.

Russian media had earlier reported the latest talks between Putin and Macron. Macron has stayed in regular contact with Putin but, as with other international efforts, has yet to persuade Moscow to call off a campaign now into the 11th day.

Putin also said on Sunday that his campaign in Ukraine was going according to plan and would not end until Kyiv stopped fighting, as efforts to evacuate the heavily bombarded city of Mariupol failed for the second day in a row.

Putin made those comments in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, who appealed for a ceasefire in the conflict that the United Nations says has created the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two.