Macron takes talks on Russia-Ukraine tensions to Kyiv

Diplomatic efforts to defuse the tensions around Ukraine continued Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron expected in Kyiv the day after hours of talks with the Russian leader in Moscow yielded no apparent breakthroughs.

Macron is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as fears of a possible Russian invasion mount.

Western leaders in recent weeks have engaged in high-level diplomacy in the hope of de-escalating the tensions and preventing an attack.

Macron sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday for talks that lasted more than five hours. After the long meeting, the two leaders emphasized the need for more talks, while also registering their disagreements.

Putin noted that the U.S. and NATO have ignored Moscow's demands, but signalled his readiness to continue the negotiations.

He also warned that Ukraine's accession to NATO could trigger a war between Russia and the alliance. "If Ukraine becomes a NATO member and moves to reclaim Crimea, European countries will automatically be drawn into a military conflict with Russia," Putin said, noting that "there will be no winners."

Macron said he had a "substantial, deep" discussion with Putin, with a focus on conditions that could help de-escalation.

"We tried to build converging elements," he said. "The upcoming days will be crucial and deep discussions together will be needed." He added that it's Europe's duty to find a solution to try to rebuild neighbourly ties with Russia.

Meanwhile, in Washington, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday. Scholz will also travel to Kyiv and Moscow on Feb. 14-15.

Biden vowed that the Nord Stream 2 Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline, which has been completed but is not yet operating, will be blocked if Russia invades. "That means tanks and troops crossing the border of Ukraine again."

The move would hurt Russia economically but also cause supply problems for Germany.

Scholz warned Moscow that "a lot more could happen than they've perhaps calculated with themselves" in case of an invasion.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Russia that invading Ukraine will only make NATO stronger, but said he still believes "principled and determined diplomacy" could defuse the crisis.

Writing in The Times of London, Johnson urged allies to finalize plans for heavy economic sanctions that would come into effect if Russia crosses the border into Ukraine.