French leader announces joint evacuation mission in Mariupol with Greece, Turkiye

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) - France, Greece, and Turkiye will conduct a joint evacuation effort for residents in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.

Speaking at the end of a two-day EU summit in Brussels, Macron said the three countries would conduct an "exceptional humanitarian operation" to get out all those who want to leave the southeastern port city.

He added that they would organize the operation in "the best possible conditions."

Macron also repeated calls for Russia to lay down its arms in its war with Ukraine that completed its first month on Thursday.

"Our objective and our obsession is a cease-fire on the entire territory (of Ukraine)," said the French president.

Avoiding an energy crisis was also on Macron's agenda after the summit that focused on rising prices in the sector.

He said the EU member states would work to decouple electricity and gas prices.

Also touching on the risk of a possible food shortage, Macron announced further efforts to remove "market dysfunctions" and warned that a worldwide food shortage could take hold in the next 12 to 18 months if the issue remained unaddressed.