French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged the world to ramp up pressure on Vladimir Putin after the Russian leader called up reservists for the war on Ukraine.
The French leader, speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where condemnation of Moscow's invasion has reverberated, said the West should use "all the means" at its disposal to get Putin to change course.
"I deeply regret the choice of President Putin to drag his country, especially the youth, into the war," Macron told reporters in New York.
Putin's decisions will only "serve to isolate Russia further," and the international community must "put maximum pressure on President Putin to stop this war that no longer makes any sense," he said.
Macron also welcomed statements by Asian powers China and India, which have called for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
"And so Russia is increasingly isolated and is engaging in a war that it alone wants and that is illegal and illegitimate."
Macron spoke after hosting a meeting with leaders from Africa, the Middle East and international organizations to address the growing food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
He also met with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi to discuss the situation at Ukraine's nuclear power plants.
Macron is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden later Wednesday, according to French officials.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks