European Leaders Hold Urgent Talks... 'Dialogue Channel' Opened

French President Macron Holds Summit with Putin... Emphasizes Russia's Hardline Stance but Confirms Willingness to Continue Dialogue
German Chancellor Scholz Meets with US President Biden... "Continue Dialogue to Resolve Conflict," Pledges Alliance Response if Invasion Occurs

[Asia Economy Reporters Byunghee Park, Hyunwoo Lee] The leaders of Germany and France, considered the two major European G2 countries, are actively stepping in as mediators to resolve the Ukraine crisis, marking a new turning point in the conflict between the West and Russia over Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are leaders who are more eager than anyone else for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis. President Macron is aiming for re-election in the upcoming French presidential election in May. If the Ukraine situation worsens, it will inevitably have a negative impact on his election campaign. Chancellor Scholz, who has not even passed 100 days in office, must focus on stabilizing the new government. To concentrate on domestic affairs, the Ukraine crisis must be resolved early.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent strong warning messages to each other during their respective meetings with Chancellor Scholz and President Macron, but at the same time, they did not sever the lines of communication.

◆ Putin-Macron, 6-hour marathon talks = President Macron first achieved the result of confirming President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to continue dialogue during their summit. According to Bloomberg News, on the 7th (local time), Presidents Putin and Macron met at the Kremlin for about six hours. President Putin warned of the risk of armed conflict but said he would do everything to reach a compromise.

President Putin said, "Some of the proposals made by President Macron could form the basis for future agreed measures between Russia and the West," adding, "I will do everything to find a compromise."

President Putin also indicated that Russia is preparing a response to the written reply previously sent by the U.S., suggesting that Russia will present new demands to the West. This can also be interpreted as an expression of willingness to continue dialogue.

Earlier, Russia demanded that NATO promise no further eastward expansion and withdraw NATO troops deployed in Eastern Europe, and the U.S. sent a written response. President Putin criticized the U.S. written reply for ignoring Russia’s main demands and focusing on secondary issues. He stated that Russia intends to send a new response to the U.S. reply to pursue further adjustments.

At the same time, President Putin reiterated his hardline stance. He pointed out that Russia is not acting hostilely toward Ukraine or the West, and that it is Ukraine, not Russia, that is rejecting all opportunities for peace by approaching NATO’s borders.

President Putin emphasized his absolute opposition to NATO expansion, stating that it poses a threat to Russia. He warned, "If Ukraine joins NATO and attempts to reclaim Crimea by military means, European countries will automatically be dragged into an armed conflict with Russia," adding, "There will be no winners."

President Macron expressed hope for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict with Russia, saying, "Intensive diplomatic contacts among the relevant countries will not be easy, but I am confident they will produce results."

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron are holding a joint press conference after concluding a summit at the Kremlin on the 7th (local time). [Photo by AFP]

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are holding a joint press conference after concluding a summit at the White House on the 7th (local time).
Photo by UPI

◆ Biden-Scholz emphasize ‘unity’ = President Biden also stressed continuing dialogue with Russia during his meeting with Chancellor Scholz.

President Biden said, "I had a very productive meeting with Chancellor Scholz," adding, "The most important topic of today’s meeting was our unified approach to deterring Russia’s threat to Ukraine." He continued, "We agreed to maintain diplomatic solutions to resolve the current situation, as we believe this is the best approach," and explained, "We made it clear that we are prepared to continue dialogue with Russia."

President Biden also made clear that there would be a strong joint response if Russia invades Ukraine. He stated, "If Russia further invades Ukraine, all of us and all NATO allies are ready to respond. We discussed closely cooperating to impose strong sanctions that ensure Russia pays a swift and severe price in such a scenario." He emphasized, "If Russian tanks and troops cross the Ukrainian border, Nord Stream 2 will no longer exist."

Chancellor Scholz avoided answering questions regarding the possibility of scrapping Nord Stream 2 raised by President Biden and only replied, "We are absolutely united."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.