Ukraine crisis: Macron says ‘concrete solutions’ possible between Russia and West
SMA NEWS – KYIV
Emmanuel Macron has said during a visit to Kyiv that he believes it is “possible to take the negotiations further” concerning Russia and Ukraine.
Appearing alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy following three hours of talks, the French president added he thought “concrete, practical solutions” were possible to reach an end to the crisis between Russia and the West.
Later, Macron headed to Berlin to see Olaf Scholz upon the German Chancellor’s return from Washington, along with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
At a news conference after meeting Zelenskyy, Macron said Putin told him during their more than five-hour session Monday that “he won’t be initiating an escalation. I think it is important”.
Macron’s visit on Tuesday came a day after his long meeting with Vladimir Putin, as the diplomatic drive continues to defuse tensions in the military standoff between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy told the joint news conference that he would welcome concrete steps from Putin for de-escalation, adding he didn’t “trust words in general.”
He called his talks with his French counterpart “very fruitful”, adding that he expected another meeting of the so-called Normandy contact group, involving Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany “very soon”.
“We have a common view with President Macron on threats and challenges to the security of Ukraine, of the whole of Europe, of the world in general,” Zelenskyy said.
He said France was giving €1.2 billion in financial aid to Ukraine and helping restore infrastructure in the war-ravaged east of the country.
“Let’s not be naive,” he said. “Since the beginning of the crisis, France hasn’t been inclined to exaggerate, but at the same time, I don’t believe this crisis can be settled in a few hours, through discussions.”
Ahead of his trip to Kyiv, Macron paid tribute to his Ukrainian counterpart for the “great self-control” Zelenskyy has shown in face of the deployment of tens of thousands of Russian troops to his country’s border.
