FOCUS – Since the end of 2021, Russia has been amassing troops on the Ukrainian border and wants to negotiate a new European security architecture with Washington.
Americans reject aneutralizationof Ukraine, arguing the right of peoples to self-determination and offering Russia reciprocal commitments to limit armaments. Washington is deploying troops in Eastern Europe and Emmanuel Macron does not rule out going to Moscow to find a diplomatic solution… Le Figaro takes stock this Thursday, February 3, of the situation in Ukraine.
Macron will meet with Putin
Emmanuel Macron will meet this Thursday with his Russian counterparts Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Andrzej Duda to try to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the borders of Ukraine, announced the Elysee. This intense diplomatic day began with a videoconference at 10.30 a.m. between the French President and the President of the European Council Charles Michel.
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Then he will have telephone talks with Andrzej Duda at 12:30 p.m., with Vladimir Putin at 6 p.m. and with Volodymyr Zelensky at 7:15 p.m., according to the presidency. Emmanuel Macron explained on Wednesday that his “prioritywas, with these discussions, of “find the political terms for a way out of the crisis” and “a de-escalationtensions as Westerners suspect Russia of wanting to invade Ukraine.
The United States coordinates its response with France
Assuming the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, France is therefore essential in this “Ukrainian crisiseven if the Moscow-Washington duo remains preponderant. On Wednesday evening, Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron phoned each other and reviewed “ongoing coordination in both diplomacy and preparations to impose swift and severe economic measures on Russia should it further invade Ukraine“.
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“The priority for me on the Ukrainian question and dialogue with Russia is de-escalation and finding the political terms for a way out of the crisis, which requires the ability to move forward on the basis of the Minsk agreements.“Explained Emmanuel Macron to the press. He specified that a possible displacement in Moscow, and perhaps in Kiev, would dependthe progress of (his) discussions in the coming hours“.
“I do not exclude anything because I think that the role of France, especially with the presidency (of the Council of the EU) this semester, is to try to build this common solution“, added the President of the Republic. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meanwhile announced yesterday evening that a trip to Moscow was scheduled for “soon“.
US soldiers deployed in Eastern Europe
The Kremlin on Thursday urged the United States to “to ceaseto aggravate the Russian-Western crisis around Ukraine, the day after the American decision to send 3,000 additional soldiers to Eastern Europe. “We constantly call on our American partners to stop fueling tensionssaid Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. According to him, “Russia’s concern is clear and fully justified”, since these are “Americans sent to European countries“. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grouchko, quoted by the Interfax agency, had yesterday castigated a measure “unwarranted, destructive, increasing military tensions and narrowing the scope for political decisions“.
“Until (Russian President Vladimir Putin) stops being aggressive, we will do everything to assure our NATO allies that we are here, and that Article 5 is a sacred obligation.President Joe Biden said Wednesday after the troops were announced. Article 5 is the basis of the “collective securityand provides for the support of all NATO allies for an attacked member.
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In detail, a thousand soldiers will be deployed from Germany to Romania and 2000 sent to Poland from North Carolina. These troops are in addition to the 8,500 soldiers placed on alert at the end of January by President Biden to be deployed in NATO’s rapid reaction force if necessary. Poland and Romania welcomed the arrival of these reinforcements in the coming days. “These movements are an unambiguous message that we send to the world to show that we are ready to reassure our NATO allies and determined to defend them against any aggression.said US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby.
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Russia responds to US proposals
Moscow’s latest statements also follow the US response to requests made last week by Russia, published yesterday by the Spanish newspaper El País. These documents firmly insist that Ukraine or any other sovereign country has the right to join the Atlantic Alliance. Among the proposals, takingreciprocal commitments by the United States and Russia not to deploy land-based offensive missile launch systems and permanent combat forces on Ukrainian territory“. But also the inspection by Moscow of certain military infrastructures which worry it in Europe.
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The United States also says it is ready to discuss the “indivisibility of security“. The Kremlin bases itself on this concept to demand a retreat of NATO from its neighborhood, arguing that the security of some cannot be achieved at the expense of that of others, despite the right of each State, and therefore of the Ukraine, to choose its alliances. Moscow is also invited to reuse the NATO Russia Council, a diplomatic body “that offers dialogue and partnership instead of conflict and mistrust”, according to the letters. Washington and NATO warn, however, that they will strengthen their defensive positions in the region in the event of “increased Russian deployment” Where “new aggression against Ukraine“.
SEE ALSO – Russia could invade Ukraine”imminently“, according to the United States
Russian channel RT banned in Germany
Russia on Thursday condemned the German regulator’s ban on the Russian channel RT from broadcasting locally as a “violation of freedom of expressionand announced imminent retaliatory measures. “This is nothing but an attack on freedom of expression and we can only regret itRussian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
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For her part, the spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, promised on Telegram retaliatory measures which will be announced this Thursday, castigating the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for its lack of reaction in this case. Russia considers these measures by Germany to be “motivated by political considerations“. On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry spoke of retaliatory measures against “German media accredited in Russiaand RT boss Margarita Simonian quoted Deutsche Welle.