Putin and Macron spoke on the phone for the third time in a week. We discussed Ukraine and security guarantees

On the evening of February 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Kremlin press service reports.

“A substantive dialogue continued on the situation around Ukraine and issues related to the Russian initiative to develop long-term legal guarantees for the security of the Russian Federation,” the presidential administration said in a statement.

The Kremlin noted that Vladimir Putin during the conversation "once again drew attention to the provocative statements and actions of the Kyiv leadership."

The Elysee Palace has not yet commented on the conversation between Putin and Macron.

• The Presidents of Russia and France spoke by phone for the third time in a week. Previous conversations took place on January 28 and 31 . Both times, Putin and Macron discussed the situation around Ukraine and Russia's proposals for security guarantees.
• In December 2021, against the backdrop of building up its troops near the borders of Ukraine, Russia invited the United States and NATO to negotiate mutual security guarantees in Europe. Moscow demanded that NATO refuse to accept new members, primarily Ukraine, and also not to station its troops on the territory of countries that joined it after 1997. The United States and NATO, in their responses to Russia's proposals for security guarantees, made it clear that the military alliance will not abandon the principle of open doors