French President Macron told Russia's Putin paying gas bills in roubles not possible - Elysee official

French President Emmanuel Macron attends the OECD ministerial council meeting on "Refounding Multilateralism" in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France, May 30, 2018. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Pool/File Photo

PARIS, March 29 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that it was not possible for Western gas clients to pay their bills in roubles, a French presidential official told journalists on Tuesday.

"France is against paying in roubles," the official said.

In his phone call with Putin, Macron also reiterated his preparedness to carry out a humanitarian rescue mission in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the official said, but added that the conditions for such a step were not yet in place.

Russia promised on Tuesday to scale down military operations around Kyiv and northern Ukraine as a confidence-building step, in the most tangible sign yet of progress towards negotiating an end to the war. read more

Reporting by John Irish, writing by Tassilo Hummel, editing by Domonique Vidalon

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