RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin had a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss the migrant crisis on the borders between Belarus and the European Union (EU) as well as the situation in east Ukraine.

According to a Kremlin statement, Putin noted “the extremely harsh treatment of refugees by Polish border guards” and informed Macron of his recent contacts with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the migrant crisis.

Putin urged the leaderships of Belarus and the EU countries to hold talks directly on the issue.

The leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in the settlement of the conflict in east Ukraine’s Donbass.

Putin pointed to “the provocative nature” of the large-scale exercises conducted by the United States and its allies in the Black Sea, which have raised tensions between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

As for Russia-France ties, Putin and Macron praised the regular meeting of the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries in Paris on Nov. 12.

The presidents spoke in favor of continuing bilateral dialogue on military-political issues. (Xinhua)