Macron, Putin agree to facilitate diplomatic solution to Ukraine-Russia crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Sunday agreed to facilitate a diplomatic solution to the current crisis.

That's according to a statement released by the Elysee Palace, Ukrinform reports.

Macron and Putin agreed on the following points:

- the resumption of work within the Normandy format on the basis of negotiations and proposals made by Ukraine in recent days;

- intensive work view a view to holding a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in the coming hours in order to obtain from all stakeholders commitments to a ceasefire on the line of contact;

- the need to promote a diplomatic solution to the current crisis. To this end, intensive diplomatic work will be carried out in the coming days and weeks. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days, and a number of consultations will be held in Paris for this purpose;

- this diplomatic work should make it possible to move forward on the basis of recent negotiations by involving all stakeholders (Europeans, allies, Russians and Ukrainians) in order to hold, if the conditions are met, a meeting at the highest level to define a new order of peace and security in Europe;

- in order to carry out this work under serious conditions, the two heads of state have made a firm commitment to take all useful steps to avoid escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Sunday discussed the security situation around Ukraine and supported the urgent convening of a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group.

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