Macron says Putin gave him an 'assurance' that there will be no 'escalation' on Ukraine


French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin gave him a guarantee that Russia would not make any aggressive moves against Ukraine, BBC reports.
"I secured an assurance there would be no deterioration or escalation," Macron said before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Macron spent almost six hours speaking with Putin in Moscow on Monday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to The Guardian, however, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov quickly told reporters that no such assurance had been given.
"This is wrong in its essence. Moscow and Paris couldn't do any deals. It's simply impossible," Peskov said.
Per BBC, a French official also told reporters the two presidents "had agreed that Russia would pull troops out of Belarus at the end of exercises taking place near Ukraine's northern borders," a claim Peskov also denied.
In comments he made immediately after his meeting with Putin, Macron did not mention any guarantee from Putin.
"Right now, the tension is increasing, and the risk of destabilization is increasing," Macron said at the time. Macron also said he plans to call Putin after his meeting with Zelensky to brief him on what was discussed.
Putin said it would be possible for Russia to consider "a number" of Macron's "proposals and ideas ... in order to lay a foundation for our further steps."
Putin also argued that if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO, the alliance would be obligated under the terms of the treaty to re-conquer Crimea, which Russia annexed in in 2014. "Do you want France to go to war with Russia? That's what will happen!" he told a French reporter, according to The New York Times.
Russia has massed approximately 130,000 troops on Ukraine's border and is demanding that NATO roll back troop deployments in Eastern Europe and bar Ukraine from membership in the alliance.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that Russia could invade Ukraine "any day now."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
By The Week US
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
China accuses NSA of Winter Games cyberattacks
speed read China alleges that the U.S. National Security Agency launched cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Russian strike kills dozens in Ukraine
Speed Read The Sumy ballistic missile strike was Russia's deadliest attack on civilians this year
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
South Korea court removes impeached president
Speed Read The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol after his declaration of martial law in December
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Myanmar quake deaths rise as survivor search intensifies
speed read The magnitude-7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar has killed a documented 2,000 people so far, and left scores more trapped beneath rubble
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
Israel detains director after West Bank settler clash
speed read The director of Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' was arrested and beaten
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
The fight for control of Ukraine's nuclear reactors
The Explainer How serious is Donald Trump about US ownership of Kyiv's nuclear power plants?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK