Putin says some of Macron's ideas could form basis to move forward

The French leader travelled to Moscow for talks amid an East-West standoff over a Russian military buildup near Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Monday's talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in the Kremlin as useful, substantive and business-like, and said that some of Macron's ideas could form a basis for further joint steps, Qazet.az reports quoting Reuters.

The French leader travelled to Moscow for talks amid an East-West standoff over a Russian military buildup near Ukraine and a Kremlin campaign for security "guarantees" from Washington that would include a halt to NATO expansion.

In a joint news conference after the talks, Putin said that a number of Macron's ideas concerning security were realistic and that the two would talk again once Macron had travelled to Kyiv to meet Ukraine's leadership.