French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks at the Kremlin on Monday, 7 February, in an attempt to cool down the tensions simmering between Russia, Ukraine, NATO, and the US.
The talks went on for five hours, with Macron warning that "the tension is increasing and the risk of destabilisation is increasing."
"Neither Russia, nor the Europeans want chaos or instability, when nations have already suffered from the [coronavirus] epidemic. So we need to agree on concrete measures."Emmanuel Macron, President of France
Putin, on the other hand, appreciated his French counterpart's "concern about what is happening in the security sphere in Europe."
"I see how much efforts the current leadership of France and the President personally, is applying in order to solve the crisis related to providing equal security in Europe for a serious historical perspective."Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Macron is then scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Tuesday, 8 February, where he will meet and talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
After this meeting, according to his office, he will brief Putin about the what was discussed in his meeting with Zelensky.
Up for re-election in April later this year, and with Angela Merkel not the German chancellor anymore, Macron has been trying to place himself as the leader of Europe who can prevent a catastrophic war with the Russians.
Biden Uses Oil Pipeline as Leverage
Meanwhile, Joe Biden met Germany’s new leader Olaf Scholz on Monday, and promised that the gas pipeline running from Russia to Germany (bypassing Ukraine), Nord Stream 2, would be blocked in the case of a Russian attack on Ukraine.
Putin, on the other hand, said the US and its allies were the only ones talking about invasion.
"If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the ... border of Ukraine again, then there will be ... no longer a Nord Stream 2. We, we will bring an end to it."Joe Biden, President of the United States
The German chancellor, without mentioning the oil pipeline that benefits Germany greatly, said that the US and Germany are united in their opposition to Russian aggression.
"We will be united. We will act together. And we will take all the necessary steps."Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany
Additionally, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken along with the European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell, said that the US and its European allies were "fully aligned" over how to respond to a Russian invasion.
Washington has been ringing alarm bells regarding the buildup of Russian troops on the border, with Biden saying that Putin could launch an invasion on Ukraine anytime soon.
'Abandon Cold War Mentality'
President Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin met on Saturday, 4 February, as the Winter Olympics commenced in Beijing.
It was the 38th time they had met since Xi took over the Communist Party of China.
A joint statement of more than 5,000 words was issued after the meeting.
It was a Sino-Russian show of unity that was reminiscent of the early days of the Cold War, when Mao Zedong and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin pledged to tackle the US led capitalist alliance.
"Russia and China stand against attempts by external forces to undermine security and stability in their common adjacent regions, intend to counter interference by outside forces in the internal affairs of sovereign countries under any pretext, oppose colour revolutions, and will increase cooperation in the aforementioned areas."Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development
Urging the US and its allies to "abandon the cold war mentality and zero-sum games" and "take effective steps to reduce the risks of nuclear wars and any armed conflicts between countries with military nuclear capabilities", the joint statement has provided Russia with a diplomatic boost in Eastern Europe.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had told Antony Blinken two weeks ago that Russia had "reasonable security concerns" with respect to the Ukraine crisis and that European regional security will never be guaranteed if military blocs keep expanding.
A war in Ukraine will not benefit China, experts say.
The impact that a war will have on the global economy and the energy sector is going to harm the Chinese economy.
A Brief Recap
Eastern Europe has been on the edge of war for about three months now.
Russia has mobilised more than 100,000 troops around the Ukrainian border, and is backed by Belarus and its president, Alexander Lukashenko.
Putin has been demanding that NATO not expand eastwards by inducting Ukraine into the alliance, and that NATO troops be removed Eastern European countries that were formerly allied to the Soviet Union.
The US and NATO have categorically refused to accept these demands, stating that Ukraine's membership is a decision that lies with Ukraine and NATO alone.
In response to Russian mobilisation, President Joe Biden, on 2 February, ordered 3,000 US troops to be deployed in Germany, Poland, and Romania.
American legislators have also promised to slap extremely harsh sanctions on Russian officials if Putin's brinkmanship actually leads to war.
Additionally, as the Russian and American delegations clashed in the UN, Putin accused the United States of ignoring the security concerns of his country.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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