Europe 1 2:06 p.m., February 20, 2022

French Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone this morning about ways to avoid a major conflict in Europe, at a time when Westerners fear more than ever a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Did this phone call change the situation?

Will it be enough to stop a war that seems more and more obvious every day? 

DECRYPTION

Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin began discussions by videoconference at 11 a.m.

Emmanuel Macron, who went to this interview with a strong conviction: to take all the risks to avoid a major conflict, a war in the heart of Europe.

As he said yesterday, the President of the Republic is no longer in the spirit of de-escalation, but rather of a way out of the crisis.

He knows that meeting was a last ditch effort the day after his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In this sense, he will give new deadlines to Vladimir Putin.

1,500 ceasefire violations

Emmanuel Macron wants to create new opportunities and give terms of reference to save the peace.

Because from the beginning, the various promises of the Russian president have not been kept, in particular that of gradually withdrawing part of the troops massed on the border of Ukraine, which was to begin today.

Emmanuel Macron also hopes to have security guarantees, while 1,500 ceasefire violations were recorded yesterday at the Ukrainian border.

Even if he knows it, there is very little chance of reaching a compromise, especially in such a short time.

This is why the French president would consider, according to the conclusions of the negotiations today, to move to Moscow thereafter.

A necessary move because tensions continue to rise.

This noon, Belarus announced that it would continue military exercises with Russia on the Ukrainian border. 

This announcement was made just hours after Westerners showed a sign of annoyance.

"We cannot eternally offer an olive branch to Russia", declared the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, when a sad record has just been marked.

International observers have identified nearly 1,500 truce violations on Friday alone.

This truce is supposed to have been in force since 2015 on the front line between the Ukrainian army and the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass, supported by Moscow.

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An "unrealistic" conflict

This is why France resolved yesterday, several weeks after the United States and the United Kingdom, to recall its nationals.

France recommends leaving Ukraine without delay for those who are furthest east.

And yet, all the French people with whom Europe 1 has been in contact are calm for the moment.

Many refuse to leave their adopted country.

This is the case of Dominique, who has been enjoying a peaceful retirement for five years south of Kiev.

He cannot imagine that this conflict, which has punctuated Ukrainian life for eight years, is degenerating.

"I don't see myself leaving here. For the moment, I haven't thought about fear, no. All the people I know here, they have family in Russia. There is a neighbor who is Russian, the other who has her children who are in the Russian army. For me, this conflict seems unrealistic", he confides on Europe 1. 

"I don't know what the Russian president wants," Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday.

For the moment, the Ukrainian President's proposal to meet Vladimir Putin has remained unanswered.