The two heads of state again had a telephone conversation on Saturday evening, February 19, as the signs of a conflict to come are becoming more and more insistent.
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New diplomatic episode in the Ukrainian crisis. During a telephone interview on Saturday evening February 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that he would not “would retaliate” not to “Provocation” Russians in eastern Ukraine and remained ready to “dialogue” with Moscow.
“He said his desire not to retaliate against provocations along the line of contact” and “entrusted him with telling Vladimir Putin Ukraine’s availability for dialogue”, indicated the French presidency at the end of this meeting of almost an hour.
The French president is due to meet on Sunday February 20 at 11 a.m. with his Russian counterpart in what constitutes “the last possible and necessary efforts to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine”she added.
“Russian military action against Ukraine would bring the war to the heart of Europe”hammered a presidential adviser, citing a risk of conflict “in and around Ukraine”. Then there would be “no other possible option than a very strong reaction“, he added. “The situation is very dangerous, but there is still room for diplomacy. If it means moving, the president (Macron) will move”he added, when asked about the possibility of him visiting Moscow and Kiev again.
The evolution of the situation remains very difficult to predict, he however insisted, while NATO anticipates a “full attack” of Ukraine by Russia.
“The President of the Republic considers that the risk is high, notes that the Russian military device on the borders of Ukraine allows President Putin to invade Ukraine if he wishes. But he does not prejudge the decision that Putin will takeunderlined the Elysée.
“Nobody knows what will happen, nobody is in Putin’s head”estimated the French presidency.