Diplomatic efforts to defuse the tensions around Ukraine have continued with French President Emmanuel Macron arriving in Kyiv the day after hours of talks with the Russian leader in Moscow yielded no apparent breakthroughs.
Mr Macron met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as fears of a possible Russian invasion mount.
Moscow has massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders but insists it has no plans to attack.
The Kremlin has demanded guarantees from the West that Nato will not accept Ukraine and other former Soviet nations as members, halt weapon deployments there and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe — demands the US and Nato reject as non-starters.
Mr Macron sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday for talks that lasted more than five hours.
After the long meeting, almost longer than the table they sat at, the two leaders emphasised the need for more talks while also registering their disagreements.
Mr Putin noted that the US and Nato have ignored Moscow’s demands but signalled his readiness to continue the negotiations.
He also warned that Ukraine’s accession to Nato could trigger a war between Russia and the alliance.
Reactions
The ramping up of tensions is very troubling, however some people found some amusement, at the two leaders sitting so far apart at the table.
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