Putin ready 'to find compromises' after Ukraine talks with Macron
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The West was pushing for the worst, which would subsequently affect Europe in many ways, but Putin said he was ready to compromise, denying any allegations about Russia exacerbating tensions.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris, France, December 9, 2019 (Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready for compromise and would look into the proposals of French President Emmanuel Macron during their Monday talks.
The Russian leader did not shift the blame from the West for the rising tensions in Ukraine but still hoped a solution could be found to soaring tensions between Moscow and the West.
The West has been accusing Russia of preparing to invade Ukraine and amassing over 100,000 soldiers on their common border.
Along with the accusations, the West has been threatening Russia with "severe consequences" if it invades, though Macron was the first major Western leader to meet with Putin since the crisis started in December.
"A number of his ideas, proposals... are possible as a basis for further steps," Putin said, adding, "We will do everything to find compromises that suit everyone."
Any sanctions on Russia would heavily impact Europe on various levels, as Russia is Europe's largest energy supplier with 40% of its natural gas imports and more than 33% of its crude oil imports coming from the bloc's eastern neighbor, and any disruption of flows would spark a hike in the already high energy prices within the bloc.
The meeting between the two leaders saw Macron making concrete proposals to address the concerns of Russia and the West.
"President Putin assured me of his readiness to engage," Macron said, adding, "There is no security for the Europeans if there is no security for Russia."
According to the Elysee Palace, the proposals include both sides pledging not to take any military action, launch a new dialogue strategy, and make efforts to revive the peace process in Kyiv's conflict with Donbas.
Putin refused to comply with the western accusations, saying Russia was not to blame for the tensions. "Saying that Russia is acting aggressively is illogical."
"It is not us who are moving towards NATO's borders," he said, in reference to alliance deployments in eastern Europe and the United States providing Kyiv with arms.
