Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan June 28, 2019. (Photo: Reuters)

At a press conference after their talk, Macron said despite recent conflicts between the EU and Russia, France considers Russia an indispensable part of the EU, adding that the EU needs to reform a security framework based on Russia’s trust and participation.

“I believe Ukranian President Zelensky has made a changing decision. President Putin has talked with Zelensky recently and I think this is an opportunity to prepare for the next talks based on the close ties between Zelensky and German Chancelor Angela Merkel. There’s a possibility of a four-party summit with Ukraine and Germany in what is known as the Normandy format to find a solution,” said Macron.

President Putin said the four-party summit is the most feasible and that he strongly supports future talks. The two Presidents agreed on maintaining security in Europe, avoiding arms race, and rebuilding strategic dialogue channels.