Macron meets Putin over Ukraine: situation quite different than in 2008 or in 2014

French President Emmanuel Macron has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to play his role in easing current tension over Ukraine. 

While in Russia, Macron stated that ‘we are not in a hot war, as in 2008 and 2014, but in a situation of extreme tension,’ referring to the 2008 Russia-Georgia war and the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine in 2014. 

“For me, the priority is to stabilize the military situation in the near term,” he said. 

Macron emphasized the importance of respecting sovereignty, including  those countries that do not belong to either the EU or NATO.

Macron, like other world leaders, is trying to stop the massive Russian military buildup of more than 100,000 soldiers from bubbling over into war and soothe Russia’s security grievances, which include demands that NATO must not add Georgia and Ukraine as new members in the future.