The presidents of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the United States, Joe Biden, agreed this Tuesday (15) that the announcement of the withdrawal of part of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine is an encouraging sign, but stressed that this step is still must be verified and that “prudence” must be exercised.
The conversation between Macron and Biden, the fourth they have had on the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, served to confirm their opinion that it is necessary to “take note of these measures”, “assess the quality of this announcement” and “check its reach”. and meaning”, according to sources from the Élysée Palace, seat of the French presidency.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier confirmed the withdrawal of some Russian troops from the Ukrainian border, although he clarified that it was not a reaction to Western “hysteria” but a programmed step.
“We are looking for a way out of the crisis and for that we have to start somewhere. A good start is the reduction of the military device. We don’t draw any further conclusions. We have to build the way out of the crisis as things go forward”, declared the French sources.
The same sources stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions must be verified, because “many things can still happen”, and vigilance and commitment to diplomacy are needed.
Although there are images of the withdrawal, Russia continues to carry out “major air, naval and land maneuvers” on the border, which is why Russian operations “have not ended”, they stressed.
“Everything is very fragile, we must be cautious”, stressed the sources, who insisted that the objective is to put an end to Russian maneuvers, “decidedly promote negotiation within the framework of the Normandy Format” and open to other partners a broader discussion around of security in Europe.
In this regard, Macron will have a conversation with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping on Wednesday (16), as his country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council “and has a particular responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.” ”.
The current challenge, according to the Élysée, is to assess the quality of Russian announcements about the end of a certain number of military maneuvers and “not to analyze anything too hastily”, because the Russian device “remains very impressive”.
“Many things can happen before returning to a kind of normality,” added the French presidency, which highlighted the importance of intensifying diplomatic work, which led Macron to speak or meet in recent days with Putin and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
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