Putin, Macron Hold Talks in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Moscow later today, Monday.

This meeting comes after a series of phone calls between the two leaders, according to Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.

"They are planning to discuss many issues, including Ukraine tensions and concerns over security guarantees," the spokesman added.

Following their official talks, Putin and Macron are scheduled to hold a press conference. Moreover, the French president is set to pay a working visit to Ukraine on February 8.

It is worth mentioning that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Russia might invade Ukraine within days.

“We believe that Russia has prepared the necessary capabilities to launch a major military operation against Ukraine,” Sullivan said in exclusive statements, published by “Reuters” news agency.

The Ukrainian presidency stressed, on Sunday that the chance of reaching a diplomatic solution to the crisis with Russia is higher than that of military escalation.

“The honest assessment of the situation indicates that the chance of finding a diplomatic solution for the de-escalation is still much higher than the threat of further escalation,” presidential advisor Mikhailo Podolyak said in a statement on Sunday.

This comes after US intelligence suggested that Russia has assembled 70% of the military power it needs to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.