Putin Points to NATO Effort to Push Kiev Into Military Solution in Donbass During Call With Macron - Sputnik International

Russian President Vladimir Putin brought up NATO's efforts to pump Ukraine up with arms and encourage Kiev to try to resolve the conflict in Donbass by force during Sunday's conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a Kremlin readout.

"Serious concern was expressed over the sharp deterioration of the situation on the line of contact in the Donbass. The Russian president noted that provocations by the Ukrainian security forces are the cause of the escalation. Attention was drawn to ongoing effort by NATO countries to pump Ukraine full of modern weapons and ammunition, which is pushing Kiev toward a military solution to the so-called Donbass problem," the Kremlin said.

"As a result, civilians from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics suffer, and have been forced to evacuate to Russia to escape the intensifying shelling," the readout added.

Putin was said to have reiterated to his French counterpart that Kiev was "only imitating" the peace negotiations progress, while in practice "stubbornly refusing" to implement the Minsk Agreements and the those reached in the Normandy Format of talks (which includes Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany).

"Taking into account the acuteness of the current state of affairs, the presidents considered it expedient to intensify the search for solutions through diplomatic means through foreign ministries and political advisors to the leaders of the countries of the Normandy Format. These contacts are designed to help restore the ceasefire and ensure progress in resolving the conflict around Donbass," the Kremlin readout stated.

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