In a Name with Putin, Macron Pursues a Diplomatic Resolution in Ukraine

PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron of France and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin, spoke by phone on Sunday and agreed on “the necessity to prioritize a diplomatic answer to the present disaster” and to safe a cease-fire in japanese Ukraine within the coming hours, in response to a press release from Mr. Macron’s workplace.

The assertion added that, “if the situations are met,” a diplomatic path ought to enable the group of “a gathering on the highest degree so as to outline a brand new peace and safety order in Europe.”

The Kremlin, nonetheless, signaled little optimism. In a press release revealed after the decision, it mentioned Mr. Putin repeated his competition that Western international locations had been pushing Ukraine’s authorities to a “navy answer” of its battle with Russian-backed separatists within the east.

The Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv insists that it has no plans to launch an offensive in opposition to the separatist territories, however separatist leaders over the weekend started an “evacuation” of ladies and youngsters, claiming that such an offensive was imminent.

After his name with Mr. Putin, Mr. Macron spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, and praised his “composure” and “dedication to stop escalation.”

Extra particularly, the French and Russian presidents, who spoke for one hour and 45 minutes, agreed to renew diplomatic work inside the Normandy Format talks — a negotiating channel that was created seven years in the past by France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine to resolve the regional battle in japanese Ukraine. The French and Russian international ministers may also meet within the coming days.

The presidents additionally mentioned varied methods to shortly de-escalate the safety disaster in and round Ukraine.

On Sunday, Belarus’s protection minister introduced that Russia’s military deployment in Belarus as part of joint exercises would be extended, fueling fears that they might be used to invade Ukraine. However a senior official in Mr. Macron’s workplace, talking on the situation of anonymity consistent with French authorities follow, mentioned that Mr. Putin instructed Mr. Macron that “these workouts wouldn’t be everlasting” and that Russian troops would withdraw from Belarus in some unspecified time in the future.

Mr. Macron’s workplace additionally mentioned “intense work” can be applied to allow a gathering of the Trilateral Contact Group, a bunch of officers from Ukraine, Russia and the Group for Safety and Cooperation in Europe that has tried to facilitate a diplomatic method out of the warfare within the japanese Ukrainian area of Donbas.

The objective of this assembly, anticipated to be held Monday, is to “acquire a dedication from all of the events concerned to a cease-fire” on the entrance line in japanese Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian authorities forces.

Mr. Zelensky wrote on Twitter that he knowledgeable Mr. Macron throughout their name “concerning the present safety state of affairs and new provocative shelling.” Mr. Macron’s workplace mentioned the decision was a part of his efforts “to take care of methods out of the disaster via dialogue and diplomacy.”

“The danger is excessive, our concern is robust, however we consider that the assets of diplomacy haven’t been exhausted,” the senior French official mentioned.

Though the Kremlin mentioned a “seek for options via diplomatic means” must be intensified, it additionally “emphasised” that Kyiv is “stubbornly refusing to implement the Minsk agreements and agreements reached within the Normandy Format.”

Mr. Macron’s strategy to the disaster to this point has been to attempt to defuse it via intense dialogue with Mr. Putin. Sunday’s name was the fourth dialog between the 2 leaders concerning tensions on the Ukrainian border since mid-December, together with Mr. Macron’s go to to Moscow this month. This strategy initially led France to not specific extreme alarm at the potential for an invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

However confronted with the Russian buildup on the Ukrainian border, France’s stance has shifted barely in latest days. On Saturday, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French international minister, mentioned in a statement that “the acts and the phrases of Russia don’t align” and warned Russia in opposition to “any additional violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

The identical day, the French International Ministry updated its recommendations for travelers to Ukraine and urged all French nationals staying there with no compelling cause “to go away the nation.” It additionally suggested French residents to postpone any journey to Ukraine.

Not like the US, France has stored open its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. “We keep in Kyiv,” the French ambassador to Ukraine wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Anton Troianovski contributed reporting.