10 things you need to know today: February 9, 2022

Russia denies Ukraine deal as Macron continues shuttle diplomacy, McConnell slams the RNC for censuring Cheney and Kinzinger, and more

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
(Image credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

1. Moscow denies deal to de-escalate as Macron meets with Ukraine leader

Moscow on Tuesday denied reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron had reached a tentative agreement on de-escalating the Ukraine crisis. French officials had indicated that Macron left Moscow with the understanding that Russia would not keep troops in Belarus near the Ukrainian border after military exercises end this month. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was the United States, not France, that had the status to work out a deal. The statement cast doubt on Macron's diplomatic clout as he moved on to meet with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Kyiv on Tuesday. Macron said the tension caused by the fear Russia will invade Ukraine is "unprecedented," and won't "be solved thanks to a few hours of discussions."

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.