Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin spoke Tuesday by telephone for the first time in over two-and-a-half years, with the French president urging a ceasefire in Ukraine but Russia's leader hitting back by blaming the West for the conflict.

One week after a ceasefire ended Israel's 12-day war with Iran, the two men also discussed Tehran's nuclear program, with Macron suggesting Moscow and Paris work together to de-escalate tensions.

Fighting still raged on the ground in Ukraine more than three years after Russia's full-scale February 2022 invasion of its neighbor sparked the war, with efforts to agree to a truce at a standstill.