French President Emmanuel Macron will try to assess whether Russian President Vladimir Putin wants 'consultations or confrontation' over Ukraine when they speak by phone on Friday, France's foreign minister said.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron during a video conference call at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia June 26, 2020. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERSPARIS, Jan 28 - French President Emmanuel Macron will try to assess whether Russian President Vladimir Putin wants "consultations or confrontation" over Ukraine when they speak by phone on Friday, France's foreign minister said.
Moscow has massed troops near Ukraine and sought security guarantees from the West, including a promise that NATO will never allow Russia's former Soviet neighbour to join. Speaking to RTL radio, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the West still considered dialogue possible, but the ball was in Putin's court."It is up to Vladimir Putin to say if he wants consultations or confrontation," Le Drian told RTL radio, asking whether the Russian leader wanted to be a "destabilising power" or would seek de-escalation.
Throughout his five years as France's president, Macron has sought dialogue with Putin, at times to the irritation of his European Union allies. Western countries are worried Russia might invade Ukraine though Russia denies planning to do so. Macron said on Tuesday he would seek a clarification of Russia's intentions towards Ukraine.
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