Before that, Macron spoke with Biden by phone on February 2. They “considered ongoing coordination both in diplomacy and in preparation for rapid and severe economic damage to Russia in the event of its further invasion of Ukraine.”
According to Macron himself, the main topic of negotiations with Putin was the de-escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. Following the meeting, he noted that he was able to “prevent escalation and open up new prospects.” After that, the head of France paid visits to Ukraine and Germany.
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Psaki herself, assessing the outcome of the negotiations, said that the White House is encouraged by any diplomatic efforts.
After the talks, the Financial Times, citing sources, wrote that Macron had made a “deal” with Putin on the situation in Ukraine. According to her, now Moscow is waiting for its approval from Washington. In addition, the newspaper wrote, the presidents agreed that Russia would abandon further “military initiatives” and take part in a dialogue about the deployment of its armed forces.
Moscow also promised to withdraw 30,000 troops from Belarus after the Allied Resolve 2022 exercise, which it is conducting jointly with Minsk, the Financial Times claimed. The Kremlin denied information about the deal.
