French president Emmanuel Macron will hold separate talks with his Russian and Ukranian counterparts next week in the highest profile effort by a Western leader to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine, reports RFI.
Macron will meet Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, the Elysée Palace announced Friday.
In recent days the French president has repeatedly held telephone talks with Putin and Zelensky, as well as US president Joe Biden.
Following his latest calls with Putin and Zelensky on Thursday, Macron's office said that the discussions sought "to identify the elements that should lead to a de-escalation".
In a possible nod to Russia's concerns about Nato expansion and US military presence in eastern Europe, the Elysée said exchanges had started on the "strategic balance" in Europe, which should make it possible to see "a reduction in the risks on the ground and guarantee security".
Western powers have been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts in recent weeks over the build-up of some 100,000 Russian troops close to the border with its pro-EU neighbour, raising fears it was planning a new invasion of Ukraine.