The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron ended on Monday, February 7.
The conversation between the two leaders lasted more than five hours. Putin and Macron began their conversation in the representative office of the first building of the Kremlin, and continued over a working lunch. Around midnight, the presidents of Russia and France began to prepare for the final press conference.
Meeting his French counterpart, President Putin noted that he had not met with Macron in person for two years, so many issues have accumulated that can and should be discussed in a direct format.
“Of course, I understand that we have a common concern about what is happening in the field of security in Europe, and I want to thank you for the fact that France is invariably taking an active part in the development of fundamental decisions in this area,” Putin said. in a welcoming speech.
The French leader noted that a dialogue with Russia is necessary as the only way to ensure real stability and security for the European continent.
“I think that today’s conversation can pave the way for us to go, which is de-escalation. And we know the situation, the military-political situation, we know the Ukrainian issue – you reminded us how important it is – the Normandy format, security issues in Belarus and throughout the region, and important issues of collective security, which we will talk about,” Macron said. before talking to Putin.
Then the leaders of Russia and France held talks in a closed format. It was noted that Putin and Macron switched to informal communication in a conversation and addressed each other as “you”. After meeting with the Russian President, the French leader intends to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on February 8.
At the same time, the United States and a number of European countries have recently expressed concern about the alleged increase in Russia’s “aggressive actions” against Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied such accusations, saying that it does not threaten anyone, and such statements are used as an excuse to place as much NATO military equipment as possible near the borders of the Russian Federation.
On January 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia was not going to start a war with Ukraine, and Western countries and the United States were “hysterically” developing the topic of a threat to Ukraine from the Russian Federation instead of forcing Ukraine to comply with the Minsk agreements.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
