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French president arrives in Ukraine after talks with Putin

This is the first visit to Ukraine by a French president since 1998

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron

© Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

KIEV, February 8. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev from Moscow, where he had held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the situation around Ukraine.

According to the Ukraina-24 TV channel, Macron will head to the Mariinsky Palace for a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

This is the first visit to Ukraine by a French president since 1998, when Jacques Chirac made a trip to the country. Macron is accompanied by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The French leader has repeatedly highlighted the need to ensure de-escalation and find a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Donbass. According to Macron, his priority is to search for a political way out of the crisis.

The French president said earlier at a joint press conference with Putin that he would bring up the implementation of the Minsk Agreements during his talks in Kiev. Macron has many times emphasized the need to strictly abide by the document. He also promised to brief the Ukrainian leader on consultations with Moscow on security guarantees and efforts to ensure stability in Europe. After a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Macron plans to hold another phone call with Putin.

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