Putin Has Held a Phone Conversation with Macron: What Was Discussed

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated during a phone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Moscow will carefully study the West's responses to its security guarantees proposals, and will subsequently determine its further actions. This was reported by the Kremlin's press service.

“Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Russian side is closely examining the written responses received from the United States and NATO regarding the security guarantees, which were submitted on January 26, after which it will decide on its actions,” the statement said.

During the conversation, Putin noted that the United States and NATO have not taken into account Russia's fundamental concerns. “The American and NATO responses have not considered Russia's fundamental concerns, such as the inadmissibility of NATO's expansion, the placement of strike systems near the Russian border, as well as the return of NATO's military capabilities and infrastructure in Europe to the positions of 1997, when the Russia-NATO fundamental act was signed,” the Kremlin's message stated.

It was also noted that the West has ignored the key issue of “how the United States and its allies intend to adhere to the principle of indivisibility of security enshrined in the OSCE and Russia-NATO documents, according to which the security of one country must not be built at the expense of another's security.”