Russian President Vladimir Putin. Archival photoMOSCOW, February 3—RIA Novosti.French President Emmanuel Macron called Vladimir Putin, they discussed the situation around Ukraine and Moscow's proposed security measures, the press service reported Kremlin. «Putin again drew attention to the provocative statements and actions of the Kiev leadership that run counter to the Minsk agreements,» the publication says. In addition, the presidents discussed the current state of affairs and agreed on further contacts. Last time, Putin and Macron spoke by phone in Monday. As reported in the Kremlin, the heads of Russia and France agreed to promptly study the possibility of a personal meeting.December 9, 2019, 21:34 InfographicMinsk AccordsInfographicViewUkraine Question and Negotiations with the WestIn recent months, relations between Russia and the West have become even more tense. Washington and Brussels accuse Moscow of preparing an “invasion” of Ukraine and, against this background, are strengthening their presence in Eastern Europe. Russia rejects all claims and reminds that Kiev does not comply with the Minsk agreements: the Ukrainian authorities have concentrated half of the army’s personnel near the line of contact and are shelling militias from banned weapons. The Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry have repeatedly indicated that the goal of stuffing about «aggression» is to build up a foreign group near the Russian borders. They also explained that the main reason for the escalation of tension is the actions of the United States and NATO, which are «pumping» Ukraine with weapons, thereby pushing it towards military adventures. At the end of last year, Moscow handed over draft documents on security guarantees to Brussels and Washington. According to Vladimir Putin, Russia did not see in the responses received «an adequate consideration of three key requirements» — preventing expansion to the east, refusing to deploy strike weapons systems near Russian borders, and returning NATO's military infrastructure in Europe to the state of 1997. The President recalled that now the bloc includes the Baltic countries, Poland and Romania, although after the collapse of the USSR, Moscow's Western partners promised not to expand their presence in this part of the continent. » />Zelensky «reconsidered» his position on the place of negotiations with Russia
