Macron proposed “building concrete security guarantees” for all the states involved and Putin stressed that “some of his ideas, of his proposals” were possible to put into action “to lay the foundations for future progress” and, although he declared himself willing to doing “everything possible to find compromises” and avoid a military escalation, was critical of NATO.
“For our part, we will do everything possible to find compromises that satisfy everyone,” he said, assuming that a possible Russia-NATO war conflict “would have no winner.”
He described his talks with Macron as “professional” and regretted that the United States and its allies have ignored Moscow’s demands for security guarantees.
Putin insisted that NATO’s expansion eastward to the Russian border violated the security principles of international agreements and scoffed at Western claims that it is a defensive alliance that does not threaten Russia.
Russia has denied any plans to attack its neighbor, but demands that the United States and its allies prevent Ukraine and other former Soviet nations from joining NATO, stop weapons deployments there and push NATO forces back from Europe. East. Washington and NATO reject those demands.
Macron, in turn, stressed that “we are now aware of the seriousness of the situation and how to find a way to preserve peace” and stressed that he “deeply believes that there is still time” to lower tensions.
For the French leader, the “next few days will be decisive and lively discussions.” “We have the will to work together to guarantee a new order of stability and security in Europe” and for this purpose “concrete security guarantees” were offered to Moscow, he pondered.
Macron’s visit to Moscow coincided with Russia being accused of having deployed tens of thousands of troops to the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion.
Russia rejects such suspicions, defends the right to move forces within its own territory as it sees fit, and urges the United States and its allies to prevent Ukraine and other former Soviet nations from joining NATO, stop weapons deployments there, and make push back NATO forces in Eastern Europe.
“The discussion can start a de-escalation, where we want to go,” Macron had declared earlier, at the beginning of the meeting with Putin in the Kremlin.
In that entry, he already highlighted the aspiration of wanting to “start building a useful response collectively for Russia and for the rest of Europe.”
This “useful response” must “avoid war” between Russia and Ukraine and “build elements of trust, stability, visibility for the whole world”, the French president specified. Macron called the current situation in Europe “critical” and argued that it was necessary to “be extremely responsible.”
Macron became the first high-profile Western leader to meet with the Russian president since the rise in tension last December, and tomorrow he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said yesterday that a pipeline built by Russia to bring gas to Europe through Germany will not be put into operation if Russia invades Ukraine, ratcheting up pressure on Moscow.
We are together and ready, and all of NATO is ready,” Biden said. “If Russia invades, that is if tanks and troops cross the border with Ukraine again, there will be no more Nord Stream 2. We will put an end to it,” he warned, using the name of the 1,200-kilometre gas pipeline.
Source: Ambito
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