Macron says Russia, Ukraine both committed to Minsk accords

French President Emmanuel Macron listens to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a joint press conference after their talks, in Moscow, Russia, February 7, 2022. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS

KYIV (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said the leaders of both Russia and Ukraine had committed to honouring the Minsk accords.

"We have now the possibility of advancing negotiations," Macron told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a news conference after the two had held talks in Kyiv.

The Minsk set of agreements were signed in 2014 and 2015 by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany as a response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. They include an aim to end the separatist war by Russian-speakers in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region.

Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine but has denied plans to invade Ukraine.

(Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Tassilo Hummel and Alex Richardson)