Putin: Russia and France share “security concerns” during his meeting with Macron in Moscow | world News

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Vladimir Putin told Emmanuel Macron at the start of their meeting in the Kremlin on Monday that Russia and France have common security concerns in Europe.

The French president met his Russian counterpart in an attempt to calm tensions in the region.

At the meeting, President Macron said that there must be a beneficial response to Ukraine. Putin praised France’s role in shaping European security.

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2:46 New signs of a Russian invasion?

“I understand that we share the concern about what is happening in Europe in the field of security,” Putin said.

Macron called for de-escalation as he sat down for the talks, adding: “Dialogue is necessary because this is the only thing that will, in my opinion, help build a context for security and stability on the European continent.”

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, described the visit as “very important”, but sought to temper expectations, saying that “the situation is too complex to expect a decisive breakthrough after just one meeting.”

Macron, who heads to Ukraine on Tuesday, spoke with US President Joe Biden on Sunday about “ongoing diplomatic and deterrence efforts,” according to the White House.

US warns of ‘real and profound consequences’

Speaking on Monday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that “there will be real and profound consequences if Russia chooses to pursue aggression.

“We have developed a high-impact rapid response that will lead to significant costs for the Russian economy and financial system.”

Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron travels to Moscow

He said the measures would include imposing sanctions and export controls that would “deprive Russia of the technology it needs in key sectors”.

The United States is working with Europe to protect energy supplies, he said, adding: “When energy supplies collapse, economies falter.”

German Chancellor Olaf Schultz is in Washington to meet US President Joe Biden, where talks are taking place on both sides of the Atlantic to try to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

A delegation of top US officials heads to Europe this week, to discuss coordinating possible sanctions in the event of a Russian attack. Treasury, State and Trade officials will travel to the United Kingdom, France and Belgium to meet with their counterparts as the United States prepares for punitive measures if Russia crosses into Ukraine.

Russia does not want Ukraine

“It is clear that the geopolitical goal of Russia today is not Ukraine, but to clarify the rules of coexistence with NATO and the European Union,” Macron said in an interview with the French newspaper Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.

Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that he was planning an attack on Ukraine

He added, “The security and sovereignty of Ukraine or any other European country cannot be subject to compromise, while it is also legitimate for Russia to raise the issue of its own security.”

But speaking to reporters in France, the French president admitted: “I am very concerned about the situation on the ground.”

Macron’s visit comes less than three months before the French presidential election – and he has yet to announce whether he will run.

According to sources close to Mr. Macron, the purpose of his visit is to buy time and freeze the situation for several months, at least until the “Super April” elections in Europe – in Hungary, Slovenia, and, crucially, for the French leader, in France.

Read: The West and Russia are waging a media war on Ukraine

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5:02 This is what a Russian invasion of Ukraine might look like

‘Heading into Putin’s lair’

Over the past week, Macron has had a series of frantic phone calls with Western allies, as well as with Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

On Sunday, a French presidential source said Macron spoke with Biden in a 40-minute call ahead of his visit to Moscow in “the logic of coordination.”

The source said the conversation allowed the two leaders to “exchange information about the contacts made over the weekend” for good coordination before the trip.

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“We’re heading into Putin’s den, it’s throwing dice in many ways,” a source close to Macron reportedly told Reuters news agency.

Russia has stationed more than 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine, but Putin has denied that he is planning an attack.

READ MORE: Politician accused of alleged plot to install ‘pro-Kremlin’ leader wants UK apology

It demanded security guarantees from NATO and the United States, including that NATO would never accept Ukraine as a member.

Meanwhile, the British Labor Party called on the government to halt a plan to reduce the British army by ten thousand more soldiers, given the ongoing crisis.

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