French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday he hoped to make a start towards a de-escalation of tensions over Ukraine, as he began talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Macron flew into Moscow at the start of a week of intense Western diplomacy aimed at easing fears of a Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.
With tens of thousands of Russian troops camped near the Ukrainian border, Macron was the first top Western leader to meet Putin since the crisis began in December. He did not expect a solution to the crisis in the "short term", he said, but he was ready to take Russia's security concerns seriously.Moscow has accused the West, in particular Washington and NATO, of ignoring what it says are legitimate concerns for its security.
Macron, whose country currently heads the European Union and who is facing a re-election challenge in April, has tried to position himself as the key EU figure in negotiations with Russia.
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