President Putin: Situation in Ukraine Inspires Optimism

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: TASS

At a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Russian leader affirmed that the war situation in Donbass will be discussed at the talks in France.

"I will inform President Macron about my most recent contacts with the new Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky," President Putin said.

"It includes a number of things that can be discussed and inspire optimism about the situation in Ukraine," President Putin said.

Since Vladimir Zelensky took office as President of Ukraine, the Russian leader has had two official phone calls. The main topics revolved around the resettlement of people in the southeastern regions of Ukraine, the release of Ukrainian citizens, negotiations in the Normandy format, and the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

President Putin believes that there is no alternative to the “Norman format” in Ukraine. At the same time, the Russian leader noted that any meeting, including the “Norman format” negotiations, will produce concrete results. “We need to achieve what we agreed on earlier, and of course, this is the goal that we should always strive for,” President Putin stressed.

During the talks with the French leader, President Putin particularly stressed the need to implement the agreements adopted in 2016 regarding the law on the special status of Donbass.

"This issue must be resolved thoroughly, by all means," President Putin affirmed.