The Russian president emphasized the need of NATO taking Moscow's demands for security assurances seriously in order to avert a confrontation.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia has stated that diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the Ukraine problem must be stepped up, sending a signal that Moscow may be willing to consider methods to reduce the potential of conflict in Europe in the near future.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin blasted NATO for "pumping sophisticated weaponry and ammunition" into Ukraine during a phone discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday.
The phone chat took place two weeks after Macron traveled to Moscow in an attempt to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to desist from deploying soldiers massed on the border with Ukraine into the country.
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As stated in a Kremlin statement, President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the transfer of arms and ammunition to Ukraine by NATO nations, which the Kremlin said was pressuring Kyiv to pursue a "military solution" against rebels in the country's east.
According to the Kremlin, "as a result, people... who are forced to flee to Russia in order to escape the escalating shelling suffer."
"The presidents feel that it is critical to step up efforts to find answers through diplomatic channels," the statement continued.
Presidents Putin and Macron agreed that these efforts should be carried out by foreign ministers and officials from the four countries that make up the Normandy talks group: France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Western nations should provide clear and point-by-point solutions to Moscow's requests, which were made public in December, to limit the West's involvement in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
"Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the importance of the United States and NATO taking Russia's requests for security assurances seriously," according to a statement released by the Kremlin.
Felgenhauer, a Russian military analyst, told Al Jazeera that Russian forces were "cocked and loaded and ready to go," but he added that "the political environment isn't conducive to that - I'm not so certain."
The problem is that Macron is attempting to do something, but the difficulty is that he is unable to put significant pressure on Russia if the latter does not wish to cooperate... He is unable to exert pressure on the United States as well. "As a result, his mediation is not very competent," Felgenhauer stated.
As worries grow that two days of steady shelling along the contact line between Ukrainian army and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine would result in an invasion, Russia has boosted military training near Ukraine's northern borders. Ukraine's president has urged for a cessation of hostilities.
This year's drills, which were initially scheduled to conclude on Sunday, attracted a significant presence of Russian personnel to the country. Russian forces stationed in Ukraine have sparked fears that they may be deployed to launch a sweeping attack on the country's capital, Kyiv, which is less than three hours distant and has a population of approximately three million people.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
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