Vladimir Putin speaks to Macron, says 'US & NATO didn't address Russia's prime concerns'

On Friday, January 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephonic conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and expressed concerns over the United States' and NATO's responses to Moscow's security proposals. During the conversation, Putin made it clear that the responses by the US and NATO did not address Russia's main security concerns over Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement. "The US and NATO did not care to address Russia's fundamental concerns, including preventing NATO’s expansion and refusing to deploy assault weapons near Russia's borders," the statement added. 

However, the Russian President also told Macron that Moscow would thoroughly examine the written responses to the proposed security guarantees received from the US and NATO before taking any further action. On January 26, a written response was submitted by the US and NATO to Russia against the draft on security guarantees. They reportedly rejected the list of demands Russia outlined in its proposals. Meanwhile, French President Macron briefed Vladimir Putin on Paris's approaches to the pan-European track ahead of France's presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2022. 

Russian-French dialogue on European security concerns would continue: Macron

During the conversation between both leaders, it was also agreed that the Russian-French dialogue on a wide range of European security concerns would continue to take place, the Kremlin stated. It's worth noting that Putin's call with Macron came after the French President warned Russia of dire consequences if it tried to invade Ukraine. Tensions have escalated in recent weeks, with the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies expressing concerns that a buildup of around 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine indicates Moscow's plan to invade its former Soviet ally.

Russia could invade Ukraine in February: Biden

It is significant to mention here that US President Joe Biden warned his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on January 27 that Russia could possibly launch military action in February. As per the White House, Biden said this to his Ukrainian counterpart during a phone conversation, which also exacerbated concerns that administration officials have been raising for some time. However, Russia has continuously denied any such intention of invading Ukraine. 

Image: AP