Kyiv: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US partners Joe Biden has approved a summit – to be held only if Moscow did not attack Ukraine, France announced Monday after a new round of diplomacy to avoid all-out war.
Both leaders said yes in principle to the top, proposed by the French President Emmanuel Macron, his office said, with the White House confirmed the willingness of Biden, even though it was especially careful.
A senior administrative official tells AFP: “The time to be determined. The format to be determined so that everything is completely nosional.”
Elysee added that the Summit would be extended to “relevant stakeholders” and that preparation will begin between Russia and the United States on Thursday.
A breakthrough that might occur after Washington warned invasion and Ukraine and Russia who would soon blame each other for a surge in the arrest at the forefront that separated Kyiv forces from Moscow-supported separatists.
Bombardmen have sent Ukrainians to escape to the basement and other shelters, while some civilians have been evacuated.
In his own statement, the White House warned that it was still ready “to impose a quick and severe consequence” Should Russia attack.
“And now, Russia seems to continue preparations for a full-scale attack in Ukraine soon,” said Secretary Press Jen PSaki.
Washington and other Western capitals said that Russia had fostered more than 150,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border and was ready to launch a full-scale attack.
Moscow denied the intention to attack its neighbors, but had demanded that the NATO alliance permanently put aside Ukraine’s offer for membership and called for the withdrawal of Western troops deployed in Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Macron-Putin calls
The Summit announcement came a few moments after Macron held a second marathon call with Putin of the Day.
During their first discussion, their 105 minutes, Putin blamed an increase in violence at the forefront of “provocation carried out by Ukrainian security forces”, according to the Kremlin statement.
Putin repeated a call for “United States and NATO to take Russian demands for serious security guarantees”.
But the Macron office also said both of them have agreed to “the need to support diplomatic solutions with the ongoing crisis and do everything to reach one”.
The second time the couple spoke on Sunday night, it was for one hour, said the French presidency. The KTT announcement came shortly after that.
Previously, US Secretary Antony Blinken said Russia remained “on the edge of the gap” attacking Ukraine.
US media quoted an anonymous source by saying that Washington received intelligence last week showing the Kremlin had given the troops to attack. The White House, Pentagon and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm the report when asked by AFP.
Satellite images of US companies also show the spread of new Russian troops along the border.
Macron also spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine, who called on a direct ceasefire and resumed the conversation.
“We stand to intensify the peace process,” Zelensky Tweeted, added that he had told Macron about the “new provocative shooting” at the forefront between Russian-supported Ukrainian and rebel forces.
Fluctuati frontline has seen “dramatic improvement” in violating ceasefire, monitors from organizations for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said.
Hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks were reported in the last few days, in the conflict that married for eight years and claimed more than 14,000 lives.
‘Shelling again’
AFP journalists hear more bombings overnight close to the front lines between government forces and rebels supported by Moscow which holds parts of the East District of Lugansk and Donetsk.
In Zolote, a frontline village in the Lugansk region, an AFP reporter found a population hiding in the basement of the earth’s floor roughly equipped when separatist conflicts erupted in 2014.
“These weeks they start shooting harder. Now they are taped again,” said Handyman Oleksisiy Kovalenko aged 33 years.
In Moscow meanwhile, the US Embassy warned Americans from potential attacks in public places in Russia.
Screws tighten
Previously, the fear of escalation was installed after Belarus announced that Russian forces would remain in the land after the end of the Sunday ended with joint exercises, increasingly tightening the screw in Ukraine.
Moscow previously said the 30,000 troops he had in Belarus did the readiness training with his allies, to be completed on Sunday, which allowed Russia to return to their base.
But Belarus said he had decided with Russia to “continue inspection”, quoting increased military activity on their joint borders and alleged “escalation” in East Ukraine.