Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday held a telephonic conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron where they discussed the deteriorating situation in Donbas and the ways to immediately de-escalate the crisis and resolve it by political and diplomatic means.
Moreover, as per Elysee Palace, Macron is ready to take all the necessary measures to prevent a major conflict in Ukraine. After Macron's Saturday phone call with Zelenskyy, the French presidency said, as quoted by BFM TV, that the likelihood of a major escalation in Ukraine is "very high" and Macron "will take all the risks to preserve stability and peace in Europe."
The Elysee Palace added that if another visit by Macron will be necessary, the French president is prepared for that. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy told Macron that he does not want to "respond to Russian provocations," according to the French presidency.
Notably, Zelenskyy and Macron met in Kyiv on February 8, a day after the French leader held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following the conversation, Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter, "Had an urgent conversation with President @EmmanuelMacron. Informed about the aggravation on the frontline, our losses, the shelling of [Ukrainian] politicians & international journalists. Discussed the need and possible ways of immediate de-escalation & political-diplomatic settlement,"
In the past few months, Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone.
At the same time, Moscow expressed strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has pointed out that rising fears of an "invasion" in Ukraine appear to be used as a pretext for advancing NATO's military presence further eastward in Europe.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU