Russian President Vladimir Putin and France’s Emmanuel Macron have called for an immediate ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh․

The two discussed the situation in the conflict zone over the phone.

“Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron called on the warring sides to halt fire completely and as soon as possible, de-escalate tensions and show maximum restraint,” the Kremlin said in a statement early on Thursday, October 1.

In a telephone conversation that came at Macron’s initiative, the two leaders discussed “concrete parameters of further cooperation, first and foremost within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,” the Kremlin said.

The leaders expressed “readiness” to see a statement made on behalf of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group that would call for an “immediate” end to fighting and start of talks, the Kremlin added.

Azerbaijan launched a major offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. On September 29, the Azerbaijani army began shelling positions and civilian settlements in Armenia, which resulted in civilian casualty.