Politico reports:

French President Emmanuel Macron is optimistic he can secure a de-escalation over Ukraine when he travels to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, but hinted that Western countries could have to make concessions to the Kremlin.

His bullish prognosis of a diplomatic compromise will trigger alarm bells among those who advocate a more hawkish line on Russia, particularly in Central and Eastern European capitals that fear Russian aggression. In an interview with the weekly Journal du Dimanche before his departure, Macron not only downplayed fears that Putin’s real strategic ambition was to occupy Ukraine but also extended an olive branch to Russia by saying he understood Moscow’s need to defend its security interests.

“The intensity of the dialogue we have had with Russia and this visit to Moscow are likely to prevent [a military operation] from happening. Then we will discuss the terms of de-escalation,” he told the JDD. “I have always been in a deep dialogue with President Putin and our responsibility is to build historic solutions.” [Continue reading…]