“Avoid a war in Europe”: France, Germany and Poland have displayed their common objective and their unity after a diplomatic marathon by Emmanuel Macron, who claims to see “concrete solutions” to the Russian-Western crisis linked to Ukraine.
The three countries are “united” to preserve peace in Europe “through diplomacy and through clear messages, as well as the common will to act together”, assured the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who received the French and Polish presidents. , Emmanuel Macron and Andrzej Duda.
This working dinner in Berlin was the last stage of the diplomatic tour of Mr. Marcon, who chained a long face-to-face with Vladimir Putin on Monday, then with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, on Tuesday, in search of a diplomatic outcome in a context of tensions on a level rarely reached since the end of the Cold War.
Andrzej Duda said he believed it was possible “to avoid war”, while Emmanuel Macron pleaded in favor of “a demanding dialogue with Russia”, because it is “the only path that will make peace in Ukraine possible”. , in short statements before their meeting.
The presence of tens of thousands of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border has Westerners fearing an invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which already annexed Crimea in 2014 and has supported separatists at war with Ukrainian forces since the same year. a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people and has never ended despite the Minsk peace agreements.
Compliance with the Minsk Peace Accords
In front of the press in Kiev, Emmanuel Macron, whose country currently chairs the European Union, assured that he had obtained “a double commitment” from Ukraine and Russia to respect these agreements, saying that he believed in “concrete practical solutions” to achieve de-escalation.
“Nothing should underestimate the tension we are experiencing […] we cannot resolve this crisis in a few hours of discussions, ”he warned, however.
While waiting for a possible diplomatic solution, he assured that he had obtained promises from Vladimir Putin during their meeting on Monday evening: he “told me that he would not be at the origin of the escalation”.
Volodymyr Zelensky for his part announced to expect a next summit with the Russian and French presidents and the German chancellor on the peace process in eastern Ukraine, preceded by a new meeting between advisers this Thursday in Berlin.
The French head of state is the first high-profile Western leader to meet Vladimir Putin since tensions escalated in December. Olaf Scholz will also travel to Kyiv and Moscow next week.
After the meeting, the strong man of Russia felt that “some of Mr. Macron’s ideas” could “lay the foundations for common progress” and must speak with him again after his trip to Ukraine.
An unknown remains as to the real intentions of Mr. Putin, who did not say a word on Monday of the Russian troops present on the borders of Ukraine.
On the other hand, he once again vilified the Western refusal to give in to him on the end of NATO’s enlargement policy and the withdrawal of its military resources from Eastern Europe. Russia presented these demands as conditions for de-escalation.
But, according to the French presidency, Vladimir Putin has agreed to look into Mr. Macron’s proposals.
This involves a commitment not to take new military initiatives on either side, the start of a dialogue, particularly on the Russian military posture, peace negotiations on the conflict in Ukraine and the start of a strategic dialogue.
Red lines
On Monday, Kiev had insisted on three “red lines”: no compromise on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, no direct negotiations with the separatists and no interference in its foreign policy.
On the military level, Russia would also undertake to withdraw its military units from Belarus, once the maneuvers are completed in February.
“No one ever said that Russian forces were going to stay on Belarusian territory,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Further south, on the other hand, six Russian warships are leaving the Mediterranean to go, within the framework of maritime exercises announced last month, to the Black Sea, an area of tensions because bordering at the same time Ukraine, Russia, the annexed Crimean peninsula and several NATO countries.
Ukraine itself is planning extensive military maneuvers on its territory from February 10 to 20, using combat drones purchased from Turkey as well as anti-tank missiles delivered by Washington and London, alongside Russian-Belarusian exercises.
The United States, Germany and the United Kingdom have also sent military reinforcements to Eastern Europe. A first detachment of a hundred American soldiers arrived in Romania.