Day 284: French Pres. Macron Says EU Should Address Putin's Security Guarantees
The Facts
Following earlier statements from US Pres. Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that they're both open to talks, French Pres. Emmanuel Macron said in a broadcast on Saturday that, if negotiations move forward, the West would need to take Russia's request for security guarantees into consideration.
At a news conference with Macron weeks before the conflict, Putin highlighted Moscow's primary security requests as no further NATO expansion, no missile operations near its borders, and a reversion of NATO's military framework in Europe to 1997 levels.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
Pro-Russia narrative
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
