'Worst is yet to come' in Ukraine: French Prez after Putin call

French President Emmanuel Macron believes that "the worst is yet to come" in Ukraine after a telephonic conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday, said an aide to the French leader.

IMAGE: Local residents stand in front of residential buildings destroyed by shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. Photograph: Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

Putin held a 90-minute talk with Macron and according to aide it appeared his (Putin) intent on seizing "the whole" of the country, reported the Moscow Times.

An aide to the French leader said, "There was nothing in what President Putin told us that should reassure us. He showed great determination to continue the operation."

He added that Putin "wanted to seize control of the whole of Ukraine. He will, in his own words, carry out his operation to 'de-Nazify' Ukraine to the end."

"You can understand the extent to which these words are shocking and unacceptable and the president told him that it was lies," the aide said.

When Macron talked to Putin for avoiding civilian casualties and allowing humanitarian access, the aide said, "President Putin replied that he was in favour but without making any commitments."

"President Putin has a way of talking that is very neutral and very clinical. He sometimes shows signs of impatience, but fundamentally there were no open signs of tensions during the exchanges," the aide added, reported the Moscow Times.