Macron Proposes "Russia-Ukraine-OSCE Tripartite Talks" to Putin and Zelensky

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly held urgent consecutive phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, proposing a trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). This move is interpreted as an effort to establish diplomatic channels to ease military tensions amid ongoing clashes between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 20th (local time), President Macron held an urgent phone call with President Putin lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes, followed by a 30-minute call with President Zelensky. Macron actively engaged in mediation between Russia and Ukraine and proposed an emergency trilateral contact group meeting among Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE to resolve the Donbas conflict situation.

Both leaders reportedly responded positively to the proposal. According to Russia’s TASS news agency, the Kremlin issued a statement confirming the call between President Putin and President Macron, stating, "There was a detailed exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine and the security guarantees demanded by Russia." The Ukrainian side also expressed willingness to actively participate in the talks, raising expectations that the trilateral meeting will soon have a concrete schedule.

However, concerns have been raised that it will be difficult to narrow differences even if the talks take place, as Russia and Ukraine continue to blame each other for the Donbas clashes. During the call, President Putin expressed serious concern over the rapid deterioration of the frontline situation in the Donbas region of Ukraine, pointing out that the cause of the heightened tensions was provocations by the Ukrainian military.

He further accused NATO countries of supplying Ukraine with advanced weapons and ammunition on a large scale, encouraging Ukraine to resolve the Donbas issue militarily. President Putin claimed that due to these Western provocations, residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in the Donbas region are suffering and are evacuating to Russia to escape intensified shelling.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian government denies attacking the rebels and instead accuses the rebels of attacking government forces. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasized in a press briefing that "Ukraine is not conducting any offensive operations, provocations, guerrilla warfare, or attacks on Russian territory, nor does it plan to do so," adding, "We do not want war and aim for peace."

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