Russia is making numerous demands, including that NATO commit not to expand, particularly eastwards into Ukraine, and to keep its military infrastructure where it was in 1997. Many NATO members are dismissing Russia’s wish list out of hand, and nations including the U.S., Britain, Poland and Turkey are arming Kyiv in an attempt to deter Putin from crossing the border.

Macron, however, said Russia was within its rights to seek to negotiate security guarantees. “The security and sovereignty of Ukraine or any other European state cannot be a subject for compromise, while it also legitimate for Russia to pose the question of its own security.”

Striking a deal, though, could mean giving something up. “We have to be very realistic. We will not obtain unilateral moves, but it is essential to avoid a deterioration of the situation before building mechanisms and reciprocal gestures of trust,” he argued.