Macron dials up Putin and Zelensky for cease-fire commitment

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - Engaging in hectic shuttle diplomacy between Moscow and Kyiv, France's president on Sunday continued efforts for a breakthrough towards easing tensions in eastern Ukraine, the Elysee announced.

Emmanuel Macron's main aim is to secure "commitment to a cease-fire on the line of contact" between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels in the Donbas region, the French Presidency said in a statement.

Macron agreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on "the need to favor a diplomatic solution to the current crisis and to do everything to achieve it," it added

During the call, Putin told Macron that he intended to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus at the end of the current exercises, said a BFMTV news report, quoting officials from the Elysee .

Belarussian authorities later announced, however, that the joint drills would be extended beyond their planned end date on Sunday.

Western countries have accused Russia of amassing nearly 150,000 troops along the Ukrainian border, prompting fears that it could be planning a military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any plan to invade Ukraine and instead accused Western countries of undermining Russia's security through NATO's expansion toward its borders.

The French statement also noted that a trilateral group meeting between Paris, Moscow, and Kyiv would follow in the coming hours at the level of foreign ministers, aiming to obtain "from all the stakeholders a commitment to a cease-fire on the line of contact."

"In order to carry out this work under serious conditions, the two Heads of State (Macron and Putin) made firm commitments to carry out all useful actions to avoid escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace," the statement added.

The Presidency also expressed hope that the three-way meeting would help the stakeholders, including Europeans, Russians, and Ukrainians -- agree to hold a "meeting at the highest level."

"If the conditions are met," it said, this meeting could result in defining a "new order of peace and security in Europe."

To chalk out the details, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov will meet for consultations in Paris.

- Long calls with Putin and Zelensky

After his call with Putin that lasted an hour and 45 minutes, Macron called back Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to brief him about the conversation.

This exchange lasted 30 minutes, after which Zelensky demanded "an immediate" cease-fire in the east of his country.

On Twitter, Zelensky said he informed Macron about the current security situation and "new provocative shelling" in Donbas

"We are in favor of intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG (Trilateral Contact Group) and the immediate introduction of a ceasefire," he added

According to Elysee, the two leaders also spoke on Saturday, with Zelensky confirming his determination not to react to provocations and to respect the ongoing cease-fire.

- French mediation

As head of the European Council, France has been playing a mediating role in the conflict and has high stakes in calming the current tensions that Western leaders believe could be the harbinger of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Macron, who is facing Presidential elections in less than 50 days, has also held out announcing his candidacy for re-election until the peak of the crisis is over.

Earlier this month, he traveled to Moscow and Kyiv for two days of marathon talks with the two leaders and emphasized that the implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreement would be the only concrete way out of the crisis.

The agreement, signed by Russia, Ukraine, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the aftermath of Moscow's annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of fighting in Donbas in 2014, details military and political steps to end the fighting. It includes an immediate cease-fire, withdrawal of heavy weapons by both sides, elections in the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Donbas, amnesty for fighters, and the exchange of hostages and prisoners, among other steps.

The plan remains unimplemented as Russia and Ukraine have different interpretations of the contested region's boundaries and both the states are unwilling to give up control as rebel forces continue to hold them.