EUCO Pres Michel Holds Call w/Putin

Russia's state-run IFX and Tass reporting comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov stating that President Vladimir Putin held a call earlier today with European Council President Charles Michel.

• Michel tweets: "Call with President Putin. Strongly urged for immediate humanitarian access and safe passage from Mariupol and other besieged cities all the more on the occasion of Orthodox Easter. Firmly reiterated the EU’s position: support for Ukraine and her sovereignty, condemnation and sanctions for Russia’s aggression.
  Our unity, principles and values are inviolable."
• Michel's call comes days after he visited Kyiv. It is the first call between an EU institution leader and Putin since the start of the conflict. Putin has held an in-person meeting with the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and calls with France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Olaf Scholz, and Italy's Mario Draghi since the invasion of Ukraine began.
• Peskov states that Putin will chair a meeting of the National Security Council following the call.