Macron again talks to Biden before meeting with Putin

That's according to BFMTV, referring to the Elysee Palace, Ukrinform reports.

The 40-minute phone call is part of "a logic of coordination" before the French president's trip to Moscow and then to Kyiv on Tuesday, where he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the report said.

Macron confirmed he would "discuss the terms of de-escalation" on the border with Ukraine, where Moscow had massed tens of thousands of troops for a potential invasion, which Russia denies, claiming only about its own security guarantees.

Macron spoke with Biden last Tuesday, when both presidents "affirmed their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and pledged to stay "in close touch" on the issue, the report said, citing a White House statement.

"They have agreed to hold talks again soon," the Elysee Palace added.

"You have to be very realistic," Macron said in an interview with JDD. "We will not receive unilateral gestures" from Russia, "but it is important to avoid worsening the situation before building mechanisms and gestures of mutual trust," he added.

During the weekend, Macron met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and the leaders of the three Baltic countries, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

op