“The next few days will be decisive and will require intensive discussions which we will pursue together,” France’s Emmanuel Macron told reporters after a lengthy Monday summit with Putin in Moscow focused on the Ukraine standoff. Both leaders cited “progress” made in a post meeting press conference.
“A number of his ideas, proposals, which are probably still too early to talk about, I think it is quite possible to make the basis of our further joint steps,” he said. Macron described finding terms of convergence with Putin, saying further that Putin “agreed to review concrete de-escalation steps.” Putin said some of Macron’s ideas were a “possible basis” for future steps.
However, Putin pointed out in statements to the press that NATO had “unfortunately rejected” Russia’s three key security demands centered around NATO halting its expansion eastward.
Russian media described a generally positive and optimistic end to the marathon talks, reporting that:
Moscow and Paris have agreed to further work on “a number” of Macron’s proposals on Ukraine, the two leaders told reporters, after finishing their marathon Monday talks, which pushed the press conference past midnight Moscow time. Neither of them offered any details on what the proposals might be.
Further, Putin referenced that an agreeable solution regarding Ukraine can be reached on the basis of the Minsk accords, while…
Macron said new, “alternative” mechanisms to ensure stability in Europe may need to be constructed, as revising the existing arrangements and agreements would not be practical.
Indeed specifics were lacking, but Putin underscored the dire nature of the United States’ recently ratcheting rhetoric and accusations. For example, on Monday Pentagon spokesman John Kirby alleged that Russia’s troop build-up threatening Ukraine is now “north of 100,000”. Moscow has consistently rejected that the troops are in the south as part of “plans” for an offensive on Donbass.
Putin took the opportunity to warn that Europe will be dragged into military conflict if Ukraine joins NATO. He took swipes at NATO’s recent history of overreaching military interventions which ended in disaster for the local populations: “They say Nato is a defensive alliance. Ask the citizens of many countries – Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan,” the Russian leader said.
“There will be no winners” in a war among nuclear-armed states, Putin said.
Putin: we understand that conventional power of NATO is more than Russia's one. But Russia is the top nuclear power. And there will be no winners in the war (in case of Ukraine in NATO, and will attempt to return Crimea with force) https://t.co/BjwGddInT0 #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/T0lnEkVnyX
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) February 7, 2022
He further reminded Europe and the globe of what actual war between Russia and NATO would mean…
PUTIN TO FRENCH PRESS: "Do you want war between France and Russia? Do your readers want that?" pic.twitter.com/okCFAHCAv8
— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) February 7, 2022
He tore into Western media for appearing bent on stoking conflict and pushing both sides to engage in confrontation and threatening rhetoric.
Earlier, just before flying to Moscow Macron had pointed out in a weekend interview with Le Journal du Dimanche that “The geopolitical objective of Russia today is clearly not Ukraine, but to clarify the rules of cohabitation with NATO and the EU.” While during the Putin meeting, no major breakthroughs were made, given Macron can’t make the kind of serious concessions Putin is looking for on NATO or Europe’s behalf, there’s at least hope this will lead to a cooling of tensions and offer an off-ramp in the face of encroaching military confrontation on the ground.
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