The diplomatic push to avert a wider conflict between Russia and Ukraine continued with President Emmanuel Macron of France speaking to the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, by telephone on Monday for the second time in four days, www.nytimes.com writes.
The Kremlin said the two leaders had discussed Ukraine and Mr. Putin’s demands for “security guarantees” that would include a legally binding halt on NATO expansion to the east. They agreed to stay in touch by phone and to “work promptly on the possibility of holding an in-person meeting,” the Kremlin said.
The French presidency said in a statement that the phone call was part of “the same logic of de-escalation” as the previous exchanges between the two presidents. An in-person meeting was not ruled out, though nothing was scheduled yet, the statement said.
With the retirement of the German leader Angela Merkel, Mr. Macron has sought to position himself as Europe’s chief voice in international affairs, casting himself as a NATO ally who is independent of Washington and has open channels to U.S. adversaries.
