Macron meets with Putin, leading Europe's diplomatic efforts to diffuse Ukraine crisis
CNN
In the tense standoff between Russia and Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron has emerged as a central figure in Europe's diplomatic efforts to diffuse potential conflict.
As the United States moves forces to Eastern Europe to support its NATO allies and Russia deploys more troops onto Ukraine's border, Macron visited his counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on Monday to demand a de-escalation to the crisis, before traveling to Kyiv.
Though the shape of a solution to the showdown is still unclear, and the Kremlin continues to push for security guarantees that the US and NATO have called non-starters, Macron said that he and Putin were beginning to build a "constructive arrangement," which was "mutually acceptable" to Russia and the rest of Europe to "help us avoid war."