This archive report was first published on 19 August 2019.
On August 19, 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a medieval fort on a Mediterranean island to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Macron expressed hope for a peaceful resolution, stating, "There is a real opportunity to put an end to the conflict that has been going on for five years," and hoped to attend a four-way summit with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and Germany in the next few weeks.
The conflict in Ukraine began in 2014, resulting in the deaths of over 13,000 people and the annexation of Crimea by Russia, which the international community deemed illegal.
Macron emphasized the need to resolve the issue, saying, "Relations between Russia and the European Union have an irritant, a subject of disagreement, which is Ukraine, which is a problem we have to resolve."
Putin expressed cautious optimism about the situation, stating, "I will talk (with Macron) about my discussions with the new Ukraine president. There are things that are worth talking about and that give grounds for cautious optimism."
