Home POLITICS Emmanuel Macron heads to Moscow & Kyiv: believes he has a deal to avoid war in Ukraine

Emmanuel Macron heads to Moscow & Kyiv: believes he has a deal to avoid war in Ukraine

by asma

French President Emmanuel Macron believes a deal to avoid war in Ukraine is possible, but that it is legitimate for Russia to raise its own security concerns, the BBC reports.

Ahead of a visit to Moscow, Mr Macron called for a “new balance” that would protect European states but also afford Russia respect, but restated that the sovereignty of Ukraine was not up for discussion.

Moscow has made a string of demands, including that NATO defence rule out Ukraine becoming a member and that it reduce its military presence in eastern Europe. The alliance has rejected this, instead suggesting other areas of negotiation, for example talks on cutting back nuclear weaponry.

Before leaving Paris, Mr Macron told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that Russia’s objective was “not Ukraine, but a clarification of the rules… with NATO and with the EU”.

He said his dialogue with President Putin would likely be enough to prevent military conflict breaking out and that he believed Mr Putin would be open to discussing wider issues. He cautioned against expecting Moscow to take “unilateral measures” to de-escalate the situation and said Russia had the right to raise its own concerns.

But he said setting up dialogue with Russia could not “pass through the weakening of any European state”.

“We must protect our European brothers by proposing a new balance capable of preserving their sovereignty and peace,” he said.

“This must be done while respecting Russia and understanding the contemporary traumas of this great people and great nation.”

The trip to Moscow, and to Kyiv the following day, is being coordinated with German and American allies, and is seen as an opportunity for Mr Macron to be in the spotlight ahead of France’s presidential election in April.

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