In the face of “tensions between Russia and Ukraine”, the leaders of Germany, the United States, France, Italy and the United Kingdom “expressed their determination to” respect the national sovereignty “of the latter, the French presidency said in a statement. a press release issued Monday.
As Russia is accused by the West of preparing to launch an attack on its neighbor, Emanuel Macron and four other heads of state and government have also expressed “commitment to action” to defend “peace and security in Europe”. added to the text after a video conference of the five leaders.
According to the Elysee, they have always considered it necessary for Russia to re-engage in negotiations with Ukraine within the framework of the so-called “Normandy” provision, ie through the mediation of France and Germany.
Western diplomatic co-ordination comes on the eve of the long-awaited video conference between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin and after the White House warned that it was ready to react against Moscow in the event of an attack on Ukraine.
The United States, in addition to imposing further economic sanctions, is ready to increase its military presence in Eastern Europe if Russia attacks Ukraine, an official in President Biden’s government said yesterday.
An indication of the escalation of tension with Moscow was the fact that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went yesterday to the front line of the army with pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of his country.
A senior US official told the Washington Post on Friday that Russia was preparing to launch an attack in early 2022 involving up to 175,000 members of its armed forces.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations of the western countries, which in turn accuses them of multiplying the “challenges”.
In mid-November, during a telephone conversation with President Putin, President Macron expressed “his desire to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” reacting to the deployment of strong Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine has been torn apart since 2014 by a clash between the military and pro-Russian separatists, of whom the Kremlin is considered the protective force, despite its denials. The war, which has claimed the lives of more than 13,000 people, broke out shortly after Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
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