Crucial personal talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have begun in Moscow on Monday evening, with the latter suggesting they work out a solution that “helps to avoid war” in Europe.
The high-profile Kremlin negotiations have centered on the ongoing standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine.
In his opening speech, Macron said he was seeking to find a solution mutually beneficial for all of Europe, stressing that at stake was not just the security of Ukraine itself, but that of the continent as a whole.