by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge
“The next few days will be decisive and will require intensive discussions which we will pursue together,” France’s Emmanuel Macron told reporters after a lengthy Monday summit focused on the Ukraine standoff with Putin in Moscow. Both leaders cited “progress” made in a post meeting press conference.
“A number of his ideas, proposals, which are probably still too early to talk about, I think it is quite possible to make the basis of our further joint steps,” he said. Macron described finding terms of convergence with Putin, saying further that Putin “agreed to review concrete de-escalation steps.” Putin said some of Macron’s ideas were a “possible basis” for future steps.
However, Putin pointed out in statements to the press that NATO had “unfortunately rejected” Russia’s three key security demands centered around NATO halting its expansion eastward.
Russian media described a generally positive and optimistic end to the marathon talks, reporting that:
Moscow and Paris have agreed to further work on “a number” of Macron’s proposals on Ukraine, the two leaders told reporters, after finishing their marathon Monday talks, which pushed the press conference past midnight Moscow time. Neither of them offered any details on what the proposals might be.
Further, Putin referenced that an agreeable solution regarding Ukraine can be reached on the basis of the Minsk accords, while…
Macron said new, “alternative” mechanisms to ensure stability in Europe may need to be constructed, as revising the existing arrangements and agreements would not be practical.
Indeed specifics were lacking, but Putin underscored the dire nature of the United States’ recently ratcheting rhetoric and accusations. For example, on Monday Pentagon spokesman John Kirby alleged that Russia’s troop build-up threatening Ukraine is now “north of 100,000”. Moscow has consistently rejected that the troops are in the south as part of “plans” for an offensive on Donbass.
Putin took the opportunity to warn that Europe will be dragged into military conflict if Ukraine joins NATO. He took swipes at NATO’s recent history of overreaching military interventions which ended in disaster for the local populations: “They say Nato is a defensive alliance. Ask the citizens of many countries – Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan,” the Russian leader said.
“There will be no winners” in a war among nuclear-armed states, Putin said…
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