WASHINGTON, Feb 9, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron's
visit to Russia brought "an element of detente" to the crisis between the
West and Moscow over Ukraine, but did not amount to a "miracle," the EU's
diplomatic chief said Tuesday.

   "As far as people are willing to sit at the table and talk I think that
there is a hope for not going into military confrontation," Josep Borrell
told reporters at the end of a visit to Washington.

   As such, Macron's visit Monday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin
was "a positive signal" and "a good initiative," Borrell added.

   "I think it represents an element of detente."

   Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine,
prompting accusations from the United States and European nations that it is
preparing an invasion.

   Moscow denies plans to invade and has demanded sweeping security
guarantees from Washington and the NATO alliance.

   Intense diplomacy has been underway to avert war, with Borrell previously
describing the situation as the most dangerous for Europe since the end of
the Cold War.

   After Macron met with Putin, he said he saw "concrete" solutions to the
crisis and had received assurances from the Russian leader that there would
be no further escalation.

   But despite his optimism, Borrell said the problem "has not yet been
solved."

   "The visit of President Macron to Moscow was important, but it has not
produced a miracle," he said, with no signs of Russian de-escalation.

   The most important thing for Russian authorities was not Ukraine, but "the
new architecture of security in Europe," he said, adding that "they contest
this architecture."

   "They put pressure on Ukraine in order to obtain sitting and talking about
something that for them is important, the enlargement of NATO and the
security concern they have."