Ukraine looking for actions and not words from Putin, Zelenskiy says

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a news briefing following talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Kyiv, Ukraine February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine is looking for concrete steps from Russian President Vladimir Putin to prove he is serious about de-escalating tensions and pulling back Russian troops from the border, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at a briefing on Tuesday.

Zelenskiy was speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, who a day earlier met Putin for talks in Moscow.

"Openness is always great, if it's true, and not a game, but serious openness, not a joke, and understanding that there is a serious danger," Zelenskiy said. "I do not really trust words, I believe that every politician can be transparent by taking concrete steps."

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets; writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Alex Richardson)