Putin "Making Every Effort for Compromise... Ukraine's NATO Membership Causes Conflict"

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Photo by TASS Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron on the 7th (local time), stated that he would make every effort to find a compromise regarding the Ukraine situation, but also warned that Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would provoke conflict.

According to Bloomberg News on the day, Presidents Putin and Macron met at the Kremlin for about six hours.

President Putin said that some of the proposals suggested by President Macron could form the basis for agreed measures between Russia and the West in the future, and that he would do everything to find a compromise.

This indicated a willingness to continue dialogue to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

At the same time, President Putin reaffirmed his firm stance against NATO's eastward expansion. He said, "If Ukraine joins NATO, it will cause conflict."

President Putin also expressed his position on the written response sent by the United States to Russia regarding the Ukraine situation.

Earlier, Russia demanded that NATO promise no further eastward expansion and requested the withdrawal of NATO troops deployed in Eastern Europe, to which the United States responded in writing.

President Putin pointed out that the U.S. written response ignored Russia's main demands and focused on secondary issues. He added that Russia is preparing a response to the U.S. and NATO.