French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, November 20, expressed "deep concern" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, the Élysée said. Macron and Xi spoke by phone ahead of a visit to China by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

"We would like for China to realize to what extent this is a problematic development for France and the entire European Union," a French presidential official, who asked not to be named, told reporters after the call. "It (the cooperation) would naturally lead to fuelling the scope of the Russian aggression" against Ukraine, added the official.

Russia has become a pariah in the West after launching full-scale hostilities in Ukraine last year and has looked to strengthen historic ties with North Korea. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un at a Far East spaceport in September.

The White House said in October that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for use in Ukraine.

China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has deepened its economic, diplomatic and military cooperation with Moscow since the start of the war in February 2022.

According to Paris, during Macron's state visit to China in April, Xi said he was ready to work with France "to create conditions for talks" between Moscow and Kyiv.

Most analysts say that the war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion is in a stalemate, with Western sanctions also failing to completely isolate Moscow politically and economically.

Paris expected to see "a Chinese position which leads us to have an outcome both within the framework of the objectives set by the Ukrainians and within the framework of international law," said the official.