But the Kremlin has poured cold water on reports that the two leaders had agreed to de-escalate a tense standoff on the border with Ukraine, where tens of thousands of Russian forces had mounted a massive offensive in recent months, an imminent offensive. warned the Western authorities.
The Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov did not confirm any concrete steps towards a proposal on Tuesday, casting a cloud over the French president’s shuttle diplomacy as he addressed the media at a joint news conference with Zelensky.
Macron told reporters in Kiev that his visit to Moscow offered concrete solutions to stability in the European continent, and Putin said he “would not be a reason to escalate.” He said the Russian president had promised to honor the Minsk agreements, a ceasefire protocol signed by Ukraine and Russia in 2015 after Russia annexed Crimea and fueled an insurgency in Ukraine’s east. Despite the agreement, both sides have not seen a stable peace.
Zelensky recently said he did not like a single point of the Minsk agreements, which require Ukraine to grant autonomy to two Russian-backed separatist regions in the country’s east. For critics, the agreement could see Moscow dominate Ukrainian politics.
Responding to a question about Putin’s harsh, non-diplomatic language, Zelensky replied in Russian, clearly stating: “We are not his.”
As Putin tests the West’s resolve, Macron has thrust himself center stage, replacing former German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the leading mediator for Europe as she finds herself re-elected at home. prepare for bidding. Currently at the helm of the EU’s rotating presidency, Macron has spoken with Putin several times per week, and on Sunday evening gave Biden his third phone call in a week.
The Elysee Palace trumpeted a list of key points from Macron’s meeting with Putin, including Russia’s “commitment not to take new military initiatives that allow de-escalation” and that Moscow will withdraw troops from Belarus.
But when asked about the statement from the French presidency, Peskov said he knew nothing about it: “I can’t comment on it, I don’t understand what the French allies are talking about.” Were.”
“We are talking about allied exercises, and it is understood that upon completion of these exercises, the troops will return to their permanent bases,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. Asked if Putin had given a concrete date, Peskov said, “No.”
Based on the latest US intelligence estimates, Putin has amassed 70% of the military personnel and weapons that would be needed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but US officials say they still do not know whether Russia’s leader Decided to launch an attack or not. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that it is planning an incursion, but has argued that NATO support for the country poses a growing threat to Russia.
Speaking at the joint press conference, Zelensky said: “We stand for the occupation of our territory.” He said talks with Macron were “fruitful”.
As Russia deploys more troops to Ukraine’s border and the US moves thousands of forces to bolster NATO’s eastern front, the Kremlin’s non-committal comments on Tuesday marked another busy diplomatic day for Macron. has harmed.
The French president, who explicitly stated in 2019 that Europe was facing a “brain death to NATO” caused by US indifference to the transatlantic alliance, and called on the EU to play a bigger role in Europe’s defense Done, now getting a chance to lay out your vision for what a Europe more independent of America’s influence might look like.
For Moscow, Macron has presented himself as a “quality negotiator”, as Putin described him, according to a French presidential official.
The stakes cannot be higher. Macron is calling for a massive Russian military build-up of more than 100,000 troops to stop escalating into the war and to quell Russia’s security grievances.
“No one is gullible,” Macron told reporters on Tuesday. “France, since the beginning of this crisis, has never made an excessive statement on this subject, but in the same way I do not believe that this crisis can be resolved by a few hours of discussion.”
CNN’s Stephanie Halasz, Pierre Barin and Anna Chernova contributed to this report.
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