Macron, after talks with Putin, says any use of chemical weapons in Syria will lead to 'reprisals' from France

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to discuss pursuing closer cooperation on anti-terror efforts. Putin said after talks with Macron at the Palace of Versailles on Monday that the French leader proposed exchanging official delegations to work toward that goal.

The Russian leader says they also discussed the situation in Syria. Putin underlined the importance of securing the Syrian state, adding that it's essential for combatting terrorism.

Russia has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the conflict, while France has pushed for Assad's removal from office. French President Emmanuel Macron is saying after talks with President Vladimir Putin of Russia that he believes they can work together on Syria and that he wants to forge a reinforced partnership against the Islamic State group.

Macron said he wants a democratic transition in Syria, but not at the cost of the war-torn country becoming a failed state. After talks with Putin at the Palace of Versailles that ran far longer than planned on Monday, Macron said the use of chemical weapons in Syria was a "red line" for France. He said that any use of such weapons in Syria would lead to "reprisals" from France — without specifying exactly what form they would take.

Macron said he also spoke to Putin about LGBT rights in Chechnya and about NGOs in Russia. He vowed to be "constantly vigilant on these issues."

Macron called Russian state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik "agents of influence" that spread falsehoods about him during his election campaign — while standing next to Vladimir Putin.

Macron said the two media organizations "did not behave like press outlets, but behaved like agents of influence and propaganda" which spread "serious falsehoods," Macron said. "I will never give in to that.

Macron and his Russian counterpart also agreed on the need to restart dialogue on the situation with Ukraine.

"We spoke at length about the details of the situation" in Ukraine, said Macron after the talks, adding that both parties wanted "in the shortest timeframe a dialogue in the Normandy format, and that a full account of the situation can be shared." The Normandy format refers to dialogue on Ukraine involving Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. Putin's trip is likely to shape Russia-France ties for years. Agencies