President Macron to visit to Russia, Ukraine next week

French leader Emmanuel Macron scheduled to visit Russia on Monday and to Ukraine on Tuesday, according to Elysée Palace press office.

President Macron has had the phone calls with both his counterparts, Russian and Ukrainian. Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin have discussed the latest developments over phone, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported to Macron on the changes on the phone Thursday.

On Wednesday in northern France, Macron said that he would not rule out going to Russia to try to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis mounting on the Ukrainian border with Russia, where 100,000 Russian troops are massed along its side of the frontier.

Speculation of a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Macron gathered steam over the last few days, with the Russian president suggesting earlier this week that a visit to Moscow by his French counterpart was imminent. Late on Tuesday, Macron cancelled a trip to Marseille planned for next week.

Meantime, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also said he would visit Moscow soon but is unlikely to join President Macron on his traditional – first international – visit since he is travelling to the White House on Sunday and Monday.