France's Macron Dials Joe Biden After "Diplomatic" Russia, Ukraine Trips
NDTV
Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron talked about ongoing diplomatic and deterrence efforts, undertaken in close coordination with our allies and partners.
US President Joe Biden got a debriefing Wednesday from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron about meetings this week with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, the White House said.
"They discussed President Macron's recent meetings," a statement said. "They also talked about ongoing diplomatic and deterrence efforts, undertaken in close coordination with our allies and partners, in response to Russia's continued military build-up on Ukraine's borders."
Macron met both with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week in a bid to find a diplomatic path out of the crisis sparked by Russia's positioning of a large military force on Ukraine's border, while demanding that the ex-Soviet republic never be allowed to join the Western NATO alliance.
Both French and Russian officials have made cautiously optimistic statements since then, although the Kremlin has sent mixed signals and continues its huge build-up of forces on Ukraine's sea and land borders.
