French TV channel BFM TV French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the second time on Sunday, Feb. 20.
According to media reports, the conversation lasted an hour. It is noted that the conversation took place against the background of the escalation of events in the Donbass, but the details of the conversation are not given.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation around Ukraine in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. The leaders expressed their concern over the sharp deterioration of the situation on the line of contact in the Donbass.
The Russian leader during the conversation pointed out that the reason for the escalation is the provocations of the Ukrainian security forces. Vladimir Putin also stressed that the Ukrainian authorities only imitate the negotiation process and stubbornly refuse to implement the Minsk agreements. Macron and Putin considered it expedient to intensify the search for solutions through diplomatic means through the foreign ministries and political advisers to the leaders of the countries participating in the Normandy format.
Also on February 20, Macron held telephone conversations with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. During the conversation, the President of Ukraine spoke in favor of urgently convening a trilateral contact group on a settlement in Donbass.
Also on Sunday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the situation around Ukraine in a telephone conversation with the French President. In the conversation, Johnson welcomed the statements that Putin made in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Macron.
The British and French leaders also stated the need for Russia and Ukraine to fully comply with their obligations under the Minsk agreements. They also stressed that President Putin “must abandon his current threats and withdraw troops from the border with Ukraine.”
In recent days, the situation on the line of resistance in the Donbass has escalated significantly. The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including heavy weapons. A general mobilization and evacuation of the civilian population in the Russian Federation has been announced. The Russian side continues to emphasize that the de-escalation in Donbas does not depend on its actions.
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