Macron Heads To Meet Putin in Russia In Bid To De-escalate Ukraine Tensions By Proposing A 'New Balance'

French President Emmanuel Macron heads to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in an attempt to help ease the ongoing tension in Ukraine's border, where more than 100,000 Russian troops are assembled.

The United States and its Western allies warned that Russia would attack Ukraine at any time. However, Moscow denied any plans to attack Kyiv and demanded that NATO stop its weapons and pull out its forces from Eastern Europe.

Before visiting Ukraine on Tuesday, Macron is set to have an in-person dialogue with Putin which focuses on de-escalation of the crisis in Kyiv.

Macron, who is expected to meet in the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin before visiting Ukraine Tuesday, said last week that his priority is "dialogue with Russia and de-escalation."

Before heading to Moscow, the White House said Macron had a call with U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday. They discussed their support for Ukraine's "sovereignty and territorial integrity." Moreover, per AP News, the two leaders also talked about the "diplomatic and deterrence" efforts in response to Russia's ongoing military activities on Ukraine's borders.

Russia Wants Clarification from NATO

In an interview with the newspaper Journal du Dimanche, Macron remarked that Russia is not targeting Ukraine. Instead, it seeks "clarification of the rules... with NATO and EU".

Macron believes that Putin would be open to a broad discussion. Per BBC, the French leader hopes that his talks with Putin would produce enough reasons to prevent military conflict. He added that Moscow had the right to raise its issues.

He underscored that European countries must be protected by proposing "a new balance capable of preserving their sovereignty and peace," which must be done while "respecting Russia and understanding the contemporary traumas of these great people and great nation."

Macron's diplomatic efforts in the international community came before the Presidential Elections in France set in April.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Can Happen Anytime Soon, US Warns

Meanwhile, the US government has reiterated its warning that Russia could initiate military actions on Ukraine at any moment.

According to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, "Any day now" Russia would invade Ukraine or possibly "a couple of weeks from now"

Earlier, two US officials claimed that Russia has already gathered around 70% of the essential military force needed to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite warnings of massive sanctions from the US and Western countries, as per NBC News.

If Russia pursues an invasion, media reports estimate that it could result in large numbers of deaths and injuries among 50,000 civilians and soldiers within weeks.

According to a source, an assessment report estimates Russia could be fully capable of invading by Feb. 15, when the ground at the border is expected to be optimally frozen for tracked vehicle mobility through the end of March.

The source also mentioned that Moscow is expected to test missiles with different capabilities, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles without nuclear warheads. Though Russian President Putin has not made a final decision on an invasion. Moscow earlier announced that it is still open for diplomatic talks to develop possible solutions.