(snip propaganda lead-in...)

Macron’s visit to Moscow could be pivotal. France’s president, who has
spoken to Putin by phone three times in the past 10 days, has signalled
that he would recognise Russian security concerns without abandoning
support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Macron on Sunday outlined what he called a “realistic” approach to the
threat of war, as more than 100,000 Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s
borders.

https://www.ft.com/content/61cbb9ef-ddf0-43c2-b7bf-50256bf3cc5b

“Russia’s geopolitical aim today is obviously not Ukraine but the
clarification of the rules of how Moscow lives with Nato and the EU,”
Macron said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche.

He added: “The security and sovereignty of Ukraine and of any other
European nation cannot be compromised in any way, just as it is legitimate
for Russia to raise the issue of its own security concerns.”

Macron, who is also due to meet Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky,
in Kyiv on Tuesday, said his aim was to prevent a Russian military
operation that other western leaders had warned was “imminent”.

“The intensity of the dialogue we have had with Russia and this visit to
Moscow are designed to stop that happening,” he added. “Then we will
discuss the terms of de-escalation. We have to be very realistic. We will
not obtain unilateral gestures, but it’s essential to stop the situation
deteriorating.”

Russia has denied it has any plans to invade Ukraine. Dmitry Peskov,
Kremlin spokesperson, said last week that Monday’s talks with Macron would
focus on security guarantees that Moscow was seeking from the US, Nato and
other western allies.

French officials said Macron was communicating with Biden and other Nato
allies and EU partners to ensure a united front over Ukraine, even as he
was simultaneously pursuing his goal of a “new European security order”
that would give the EU more responsibility for its own security.

Ahead of Macron’s talks with Putin, Antony Blinken, US secretary of state,
spoke on Sunday with Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s foreign minister, about
“joint efforts to strengthen Nato’s eastern flank and to ensure Russia
understands the high costs it would incur if it were to invade Ukraine
further”, according to the state department.

One senior official in Paris, asked whether Macron was too accommodating
towards Putin, said: “He doesn’t do it on his own behalf or in a manner
that is isolated or secret . . . He [Putin] is the one who has made the
threats so it’s with him that we must look for de-escalation.”

### - well let's see if 'macron' (the french!) can thus be/become the
'voice of reason' in the midst of utter madness over here then huh...

smile, we did in fact get all our knives & forks from the french, so they
are then fairly civilised in some ways innit hehe, everyone in the uk just
using a 'big' spoon before that LOL :)))

from them we ALSO get an 'allowance' (a slim one) for so-called 'crimes of
passion' because of their awful experiences via the french revolution: a
NEW law wherein it's now understood/accepted (at least by them) that
sometimes, under very trying circumstances, it's possible for a human
being (or even a whole nation hah!) to become completely overwhelmed by
passionate emotions, and even 'murder' people! but which doesn't
necessarily mean they're mad or criminal, just genuinely overwhelmed...
which, in some cases (their own for example) is not only understandable
but also pardonable because, well, that's human beings for ya! they can
easily lose their heads! (no pun intended heh)

iow: they 'forgave' themselves (the human part of themselves) for the
horrors they committed during the french revolution on the proviso that
they will thus forgive others on the same basis provided they can prove:
'crime passionnel' :)

(and that's basically ALL we gots outta the WHOLE damn french revolution
lol! a minor tweak to the law :)))