French Prez Macron, German Chancellor Scholz agree to 'mediate in Ukraine border crisis'

As the French President Emmanuel Macron and the new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held their first-ever meeting in Paris, the two leaders agreed to focus on de-escalating military tensions on the Ukraine and Russia frontier where Moscow troops have been concentrated for months. Labelling the situation as concerning, Macron and Scholz each expressed support for the Normandy format that aims at negotiations by all parties for a peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine, which was also earlier last month emphasised by Press Secretary of the President of Ukraine Serhiy Nykyforov in a video commentary.

"The Russian party remains solely responsible for the delay in the Normandy format, while the Ukraine, France, and Germany are ready for negotiations, Nykyforov had stated in a broadcast message. 

'Our common will is to continue Russia-Ukraine dialogue,' say the two leaders

Affirming their commitments, French and German leaders Macron and Scholz backed the ongoing bilateral discussions between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin to find a peaceful resolution to the escalating Ukrainian crisis. "It is really very useful that President Biden had discussions with President Putin. Our common will is that we continue this dialogue (on Ukraine) between Putin-Biden," Macron said at a joint news conference with Scholz in Paris.

"We want stability in the region and not escalation. The first goal should be to avoid any unnecessary tension. We keep an eye on the situation, but there shouldn't be any escalation. It is about the stability and sovereignty of Ukraine," French President Macron said alongside his German counterpart Olaf Scholz on Paris visit. 

“Our first goal is to avoid any useless tension,” Macron said. “Our will ... Europeans and Americans, is to show that we are very vigilant about the situation, but that there must be no escalation, in any way,” Macron went on to add. 

Credit: AP 

US President Joe Biden played a mediator role in diplomacy for Ukraine and Russia this week as he held a meeting with Russia’s Putin, who termed the dialogue with Biden “open, substantive and constructive.” Putin pointed that Russia’s demand for Ukraine was not to be considered for NATO membership. Meanwhile, Biden clarified at a White House briefing that he will not send US soldiers on Ukrainian territory,  “it is not on the table” he replied when questioned by a journalist on the same. 

German chancellor to meet NATO officials, Ukraine leader 

Scholz, in turn, agreed with the French leader Macron, stressing that his newly established government’s major concern has been the situation on the Ukrainian border, which he must, with France’s cooperation resolve. “It is quite obvious that there are a lot of soldiers to be seen and therefore it is quite right that this is now being discussed everywhere. It is a good thing that the American president pursued a conversation with the Russian presidents on this matter,” his said during his first trip abroad following his coalition government's swearing-in on Wednesday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, left, is welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Credit: AP/Thibault Camus

Sholz also stated that he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Brussels. “We all view the situation on the Ukrainian border with concern,” Scholz said. “We’re clear that the inviolability of borders in Europe is one of the principles that all in Europe must accept for our common security. This rule goes for everyone,” he emphasized in his address. The newly appointed German leader will head to Brussels to meet with EU and NATO officials after his Paris visit, according to reports.