Ukraine welcomes Macron but says: we won’t cross our red lines on Russia

KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine is looking forward to discussions with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron on Russia but will not be forced to cross its own red lines, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a briefing on Tuesday.

Macron is visiting Ukraine after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A French official said Putin promised not to carry out new military initiatives near Ukraine. But it was not immediately clear what Russia might expect in return.

“We are all waiting with interest for the signals that Mr. Macron brought from Moscow,” Kuleba said, speaking alongside visiting counterparts from Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. “But I have repeatedly said that we are open to dialogue, we are constructive, we are looking for a diplomatic solution, but we will not cross our red lines and no one will be able to force us cross them.”