Russian President Vladimir Putin and France's ditto Emmanuel Macron are said to have agreed during a telephone conversation to "intensify" their diplomatic efforts and to work for a ceasefire, several media outlets report.

Both Macron's staff and the Kremlin confirm the information to the news agency Reuters.

Putin and Macron are said to have agreed on a meeting on Monday with foreign ministers in the so-called Normandy format, according to a statement from the Kremlin.

The group includes Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.

Planning withdrawal

According to Russian media reports, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will also speak by telephone with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday.

According to Macron's staff, Putin has said he plans to withdraw Russian troops from Belarus as soon as the ongoing military exercises in the country are completed.

According to the staff, the French president will discuss Ukraine with US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz "within a few hours".

Russian demands for security guarantees remain

Putin reiterates the demand that the United States and NATO must take Russia's security guarantees seriously, according to AFP.

In mid-December, the Kremlin presented a list of 17 points that Russia wants as security guarantees for the West.

Russia wants to rule out further NATO enlargement, including Ukraine becoming a member of the military alliance.

"In the absence of a willingness on the part of the United States to negotiate definite and legally binding guarantees from the United States and its allies, Russia will be forced to respond, even with military measures," the Russian Foreign Ministry recently wrote in a threat.

A resounding no from NATO

NATO flatly says no to Russia's demands to leave Eastern Europe and put an end to new memberships, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's statement to Ekot


and other Nordic journalists in January.

That Russia wants to dictate other states' choices is contrary to international law, says Sweden's Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist (S), who called Russia's demands "unacceptable".