Putin And Macron's 105-Minute Conversation That Calmed The World

Phone illustration (Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone for almost two hours. And the result made the world calm in the midst of the real threat of Russia's war with Ukraine.

Quoted from The Guardian, Sunday, February 20, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron have agreed to try to conclude a ceasefire in Donbas, in eastern Ukraine. Another decision also calls for an urgent summit at the highest level on the future of Ukraine, the Lysée Palace said in a statement.

Confirmed by the Kremlin, Russia may be willing to step back from the brink of a full-blown invasion of Ukraine to allow for new diplomatic discussions.

France's foreign minister, Jean Yves Le Drian, will meet his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in the coming days to discuss a possible summit at the highest level with Russia, Ukraine, and their allies.

The Kremlin suggested the meeting would be held in a Normandy format, meaning the participants would be Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany.

It is too early to say whether Macron has staged a last-minute diplomatic coup, or whether he has full support for his initiative from Washington and London. So far, most of the steps have been coordinated with the White House.

It was also decided that a trilateral contact group meeting would be held in the near future in order to get commitments from all parties to a ceasefire.

The Kremlin also said Putin had expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation at the contact lines in Donbas.