Macron and Biden ask to be cautious and “verify” the start of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine

The presidents of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the United States, Joe Biden, agreed on Tuesday that the announcement of the withdrawal of some Russian units from the border with Ukraine It is an encouraging sign, but they pointed out that it must be verified and that we must be cautious.

the conversation between Macron and Bidenthe fourth they maintain around the crisis between Russia Y Ukraineserved to confirm his opinion that it is necessary to “take note of these measures”, “evaluate the quality of that announcement” and “verify its scope and meaning”, indicated Elysee sources.

He was the Foreign Minister of RussiaSergey Lavrov, who spoke on Tuesday of the withdrawal of some Russian units from the border with Ukrainebut clarified that it is not a reaction to the “hysteria” of the West, but that it was programmed.

“We are looking for a way out of the crisis and for this we have to start somewhere. A good start is the reduction of the military device. We draw no further conclusions. You have to build your way out of the crisis as things progress”French sources indicated.

They stressed that the Russian president’s intentions must be verified, Vladimir Putinbecause “many things can still happen”, vigilance and a commitment to diplomacy are needed.

Although there are images of the retreat, Russia continues to carry out “wide air, naval and land maneuvers”, so the Russian operations “have not ended”they pointed out.

“Everything is very fragile, we have to be careful”stressed the sources, who insisted that the objective is to obtain an end to the Russian maneuvers, promote “with determination the negotiation within the framework of the Normandy format” and open a broader discussion to other partners regarding security in Europe. .

In that line, Macron He will hold a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, since his country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council “and has a particular responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.”

The current challenge, according to the Elysee, is to assess the quality of the Russian announcements about the end of a certain number of military maneuvers and “not to take anything lightly” because the Russian device “remains very impressive”.

“Many things can happen before returning to a kind of normalcy,” added the French presidency, which stressed the importance of intensifying diplomatic work, which has led Macron to speak or meet in recent days with Putin or the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky.

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