France's Macron to speak with Russia's Putin later on Tuesday

French President Emmanuel Macron will speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin via the phone at around midday Paris time later on Tuesday, said Macron's office.

Russian forces fired rockets at the encircled steel works in Ukraine's Mariupol and smoke darkened the sky above the plant, where officials say 200 civilians are still trapped despite evacuations, while the EU prepared to sanction Russian oil.

Macron had last spoken to Putin on March 29.

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