French President Emmanuel Macron PARIS, Jan 9 French President Emmanuel Macron meets Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow made it possible to achieve progress on the issue of de-escalation in Ukraine, said Secretary of State at the French Foreign Ministry Clement Bon. «He (Macron — ed.) Had a long conversation with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which, I think, to be honest caution, he has made progress. Firstly, in terms of de-escalation and preventing the situation from worsening,» Bon said on the air of the LCI TV channel. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Moscow, where he held five-hour talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, the French leader met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev. Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations by the West and Ukraine of «aggressive actions», saying that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and statements about «Russian aggression» are used as an excuse to place more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted earlier that Western statements about «Russian aggression» and the possibility of helping Kiev defend itself against it are both ridiculous and dangerous. At the same time, Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about the alleged increase in «aggressive actions» by Russia near the borders of Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is moving troops within its territory and at its own discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone and should not worry anyone.
