Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron met in
Moscow on Monday (02/07/2022) to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, European
security, and bilateral issues. Their meeting lasted almost six hours.
They held a press conference together afterward, revealing some of the
results of the meeting. The discussions take place amid rising tensions over
the Ukraine issue, with Macron set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky at a later date.
Here are some important notes from the meeting between Putin and Macron.
1. NATO Ignores Russia's Security Proposal
There are three key points in the security proposals that Moscow announced
in December: no further expansion of NATO, no deployment of attack systems
along Russia's borders, and a pullback of current NATO deployments to the
1997 track.
The response of NATO and the United States (US), sent last week with a
request for secrecy, did not address these points at all.
"No yes or no, as if they were never asked," Putin told reporters.
“We only see cliches and political proposals on secondary issues.”
2. Macron Suggests New Mechanism for Ukraine Crisis
The French president said, "Dialogue with Russia is the only way to ensure
security and stability in Europe."
If existing mechanisms and agreements are not sufficient to resolve the
security situation, he suggested that new ones should be designed and
implemented.
Macron in particular noted that France and Russia "do not share the same
understanding" of the meaning of a number of documents such as the 1975
Helsinki Final Act which established what would become the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), especially when it came to rights
issues. human rights and the territorial integrity of the state.
3. Putin Agrees to Work on Macron's De-escalation Proposal
The Russian president said it was "possible" to go ahead with "a number" of
proposals put forward by Macron that might lead to a de-escalation of the
situation in Ukraine.
Neither Putin nor Macron disclosed any possible details, with Putin saying
he would discuss the matter further with Macron once the French president
had the opportunity to meet with the Ukrainian president on Tuesday.
4. Ukraine Must Implement Minsk . Agreement
Putin told reporters that he had informed Macron of Ukraine's refusal to
implement the Minsk agreement, even after Kiev made a commitment to do so in
recent weeks at meetings in Paris and Berlin.
Instead of taking steps to offer autonomy to the breakaway regions of
Donetsk and Lugansk, Ukraine has instead opted to persecute Russian-speaking
speakers within its borders, according to Putin.
"Regarding the Minsk agreement, whether it is still feasible or has any
perspective, I feel that there is no other alternative," Putin told
reporters.
5. Putin Threatens Possibility of Nuclear War
Raising NATO's argument that any country is free to join the alliance if
desired, Putin said Ukraine doing so would quickly result in nuclear war
with Russia.
"Kiev has designated Moscow as an enemy and asserted that Crimea belongs to
Ukraine, something NATO countries agree on," Putin said.
The Crimean peninsula voted to rejoin Russia after the February 2014 coup in
Kiev. The coup was backed by the US at the expense of a power-sharing deal
brokered by France and Germany.
Russia officially welcomed Crimea back a month later, something it did not
do with the two Donbass regions, which followed suit.
Ukraine's membership in NATO would trigger the alliance's Article 5 joint
defense clause when Kiev decided to "reintegrate" Crimea by force,
essentially resulting in war with Russia, the world's leading nuclear power.
"There will be no winners. (Macron) doesn't want that kind of result.
Neither do I," said Putin.
