Ukraine-Macron convenes a defense and security council-Elysée | Photo credits: Johanna Geron/AP/SIPA
PARIS, Feb 21 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday convened a defense and national security council on the situation in Ukraine and Russia, the Elysee Palace said.
“A restricted council of defense and national security is convened at 7:00 p.m. today on the situation in Ukraine Russia,” said the Elysée.
Emmanuel Macron met successively with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the statement said.
Other contacts are planned for the evening, it is added.
According to the Russian news agency Tass, which quotes the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin warned Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz that he would soon sign a decree concerning the pro-Russian separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.
The Russian president took part earlier in the day in a meeting of the Russian Security Council on the recognition of the independence of the self-proclaimed “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk.
(Report Michel Rose, written by Camille Raynaud, edited by Matthieu Protard)