- Title: Putin tells Macron he sees no alternative to Ukraine talks
- Date: 19th August 2019
- Summary: BORMES-LES-MIMOSAS, FRANCE (AUGUST 19, 2019) (REUTERS) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AT TALKS WITH FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON PUTIN SAYING (Russian): 'Mr. Macron was so kind as to place all of our delegation in the shade, while he and his delegation are sitting in the sun. So I will try to speak briefly." PUTIN SPEAKING TO MACRON (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "There is a number of questions in which we need to find agreement. I think today this topic (solution for eastern Ukrainian), we must definitely do it. But in my view there is no alternative to the Normandy format. And we will naturally support it." FLAGS OF RUSSIA, EUROPEAN UNION AND FRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "I will inform Mr. President about my latest contact with the newly-elected Ukrainian president. There are some things which we can discuss and which inspire cautious optimism." FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "We are concerned about the agreement banning nuclear weapon tests. We are worried about the possible militarisation of space. Here we have something to talk about. I would like to discuss this in detail and to define the position of France on this matter." WIDE OF MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "We need to set the geography right. There were no incidents in Siberia. If you mean (the incident) by the sea in the north - it is a different region of the Russian Federation. There is no hazard there, and there is no background radiation increase. We have sent experts, including independent experts there, who have the situation under control now. In any case, I am receiving reports from the military and civil experts, and I do not see serious changes there. But preventive measures are being implemented in order to avoid any unexpected developments." MACRON LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "I am a guest here and I feel uncomfortable saying this, but I am forced to because you are posing such questions. We all know about the events related to so-called yellow vests. During these events, according to our estimates, eleven people were killed, 2,500 were injured, including 2,000 police officers. We would not like such things to happen in the Russian capital and we will do everything for our domestic politics to develop strictly within the acting legislation." VARIOUS OF PUTIN AND MACRON SHAKING HANDS
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2019 17:57
- Keywords: France Russia Normandy format space troops Macron Ukraine talks Putin space bilateral talks United States disarmament Minsk agreements
- Location: BORMES-LES-MIMOSAS, FRANCE
- City: BORMES-LES-MIMOSAS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASVX2YV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS SOUNDBITES FROM RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN. FOR SOUNDBITES FROM FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON AND VIEWS OF THE FORT WHERE THE MEETING TOOK PLACE PLEASE SEE 1166-FRANCE-RUSSIA/MACRON
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that he saw no alternative to Normandy format heads of state talks on the Ukraine crisis, but stopped short on Monday (August 19) of signing up to a new summit on the subject.
Putin was speaking at Macron's summer residence in southern France ahead of talks on a range of subjects between the two leaders.
Putin told Macron that phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy had given him cautious grounds for optimism, but stressed that he believed that any meeting aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis should yield tangible results.
Kiev's forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine since 2014, in a conflict that has claimed more than 13,000 lives. Sporadic fighting continues despite a ceasefire agreement.
Speaking with Macron on Monday (August 19) Putin also mentioned Russia's concerns about possible air deployment in space.
The Russian leader compared the continuing protests over candidates barred from the Moscow parliamentary elections with the 'yellow vests' in France.
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