In Moscow, the talks between Russian and French presidents on avoiding further military action against Ukraine have lasted for five hours, but brought no apparent result that the officials would be ready to announce, British news portal The Guardian reports.
Addressing the media after talks on Monday, February 7, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the two sides needed to work quickly to avoid the risk of an escalation. «Right now, the tension is increasing and the risk of destabilisation is increasing, » the French President evaluated, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks following the talks. «Neither Russia, nor the Europeans want chaos or instability, when nations have already suffered from the [coronavirus] epidemic. So we need to agree on concrete measures.»
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Not discussing specifics, Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was possible to consider «a number of [Macron’s] proposals and ideas … in order to lay a foundation for our further steps.» Putin also criticised NATO’s open-door policy, evaluating that it only benefited the US.
On Tuesday, February 8, Macron is due to travel to Kyiv, where he will hold talks with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The French head of state noted in Moscow that he planned to brief Putin on the results of the discussions in a phone call, The Guardian reports.
French and Russian presidents discussed Ukraine tensions for five hours
