Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) France’s President Emmanuel Macron visiting Kiev on Tuesday stated that Moscow had assured him it would not escalate tensions in Ukraine.
Before meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev, Macron declared that he had “obtained guarantees” from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin that there would be “no degradation or escalation”, according to a report by DW.
“President Putin assured me of his readiness to engage in this sense and his desire to maintain stability and the territorial integrity of Ukraine”, Macron asserted, adding that “there is no security for the Europeans if there is no security for Russia.”
Putin, he said, had expressed the hope that the situation could be resolved through talks and had pledged that Moscow would “do everything to find compromises with the West.” On the other hand, he did warn that if Ukraine joins NATO and attempts to retake Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, an armed conflict would break out in Europe with “no winners.”
At a press conference that took place after his meeting with Zelenskyy, Macron stressed the importance of those involved staying calm in order to minimise the risk of escalation.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects to be able to hold the next talks in the near future “between the leaders of the Normandy quartet”, referring to Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia.
Quartet to meet this week
Macron subsequently announced that presidential advisers from the four countries would meet later this week in Berlin to discuss how to proceed. “It will take time to get results”, he noted. “We cannot resolve this crisis in a few hours of talks… it will be the days and the weeks and the months to come that will allow us to progress.”
Zelenskyy, while welcoming Macron’s optimism about Russia’s willingness not to escalate the situation, sounded a cautionary note by pointing out that “openness is always great if it’s true and not a game.”
“I do not really trust words,” he advised, citing his belief “that every politician can be transparent by taking concrete steps.”While some Western countries accuse Russia of planning to attack Ukraine, Moscow continues to reject such accusations and insists that Russia is not moving towards NATO’s borders.
