2 yıl önce

International efforts to ease Russia-Ukraine tensions intensify

Tensions see new hope for de-escalation with France's Macron holding talks in Moscow and Germany's Scholz in the US to coordinate policies.

AFP

In his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Macron called for "an answer that is useful for both Russia and for all the rest of Europe".

World leaders have been speeding up efforts to alleviate the Russia-Ukraine crisis in high profile meetings to coordinate policies as fears of a possible Russian invasion mount.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for de-escalation as he sat down for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Monday.

"This discussion can make a start in the direction in which we need to go, which is towards a de-escalation ," Macron said, calling for "an answer that is useful for both Russia and for all the rest of Europe".

Putin, in turn, hailed France’s role in shaping European security, adding that he appreciates Macron's efforts to help ensure “an equal security in Europe” and broker a settlement to the Ukrainian crisis.

“I realise that we share concern about what's going on in Europe in the security sphere,” Putin told Macron.

Continuing the high-level diplomacy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to meet with Biden later on Monday in Washington before traveling to Kiev and Moscow on February 14-15.

'Tense atmosphere'

“The security and sovereignty of Ukraine or any other European state cannot be a subject for compromise,” Macron had said in an interview with French newspaper Journal du Dimanche before his meeting with Putin.

He then added that "it is also legitimate for Russia to pose the question of its own security," and said he believes “the geopolitical objective of Russia today is clearly not Ukraine, but to clarify the rules of cohabitation with NATO and the EU.”

Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, described Monday's visit as “very important,” but sought to temper expectations, saying “the situation is too complex to expect a decisive breakthrough after just one meeting.”

He noted that “the atmosphere has remained tense,” adding that the US and its allies have continued to ignore Moscow's security demands.

Germany in talks with the US

Biden and Scholz are expected to address the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline during their their first face-to-face meeting since Scholz became the head of the German government nearly two months ago.

Ahead of the visit, the White House sought to play down Germany’s refusal to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, bolster its troops in Eastern Europe or spell out which sanctions it would support against Russia.

The buildup of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine has fuelled Western worries of a possible offensive.

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies