WION brings a report from Ukraine's first line of defence. The border where Ukraine, Belarus and Russia meet. Border guards warn of land mines below the snow.

WION reports from the Russia-Ukraine border: Border guards warn of land mines below the snow

The US has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible even before the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The US has repeated its warning of severe sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, Military drills have intensified across Eastern Europe

Report from Ukraine: Military drills intensify in Eastern Europe amid Russian invasion fears

The US has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible even before the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The US has repeated its warning of severe sanctions on Russia.

Sources: US President Joe Biden met his security advisers over the Ukraine crisis

British and Norweigan nationals have been asked to leave Ukraine as war tensions with Russia mount over the Ukraine crisis. Meanwhile, the UK urges Russia to step back from conflict.

British nationals urged to leave Ukraine amid the second round of UK-Russia diplomacy

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion fears, US President Joe Biden is all set to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The US has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible even before the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

US President Biden to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as invasion fear looms

President Vladimir Putin of Russia is flexing his military and diplomatic muscle in a tense standoff with the West over Ukraine, projecting power and occasional menace in his pursuit of global influence. But the recent abduction of a 52-year-old diabetic woman in central Russia has made clear that Putin still has vexing challenges in his own backyard that require a skillful political juggling act.

The woman, Zarema Musayeva, was dragged from her apartment building in her slippers and pushed into a black SUV after men who identified themselves as police officers forced their way into her apartment and punched her husband, Sayda Yangulbayev, a 63-year-old retired federal judge from Chechnya, and their lawyer.

The men had said they were supposed to take the couple to Chechnya, more than 1,100 miles away, to be questioned as witnesses in a fraud case, but it soon became clear that Musayeva’s abduction was part of a hunt for two of their sons, prominent government critics who had infuriated Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov.

Now, three weeks later, Yangulbayev has fled Russia with his daughter, fearing for their safety, and Musayeva is being detained, charged with assaulting a police officer, although her lawyers say she can “hardly walk.” Kadyrov has vowed to “take care of" the family, saying “there’s a place waiting for Yangulbayev’s family, either in jail or under the ground."

The episode has laid bare — not for the first time — the pitfalls of the devil’s bargain Putin has made with Kadyrov, a ruthless leader who exerts almost total control in Chechnya, a turbulent, predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus with a population of 1.4 million.

The Chechen leader’s brutal excesses are part of an array of domestic difficulties facing Putin, even as he takes an increasingly aggressive stance on the world stage, amassing troops on Ukraine’s border and seeking to rewrite the European security architecture.

Putin oversees an underperforming economy centered almost solely on oil and commodities. He has had to crack down on Russian dissidents like Alexei Navalny, driving many into exile with the threat of imprisonment. He has suppressed media criticism and tried to rewrite Russian history by liquidating the most prominent human rights group in Russia, whose work exposed the brutalities of the Soviet era.

Kadyrov delivers strong electoral support for Putin while stamping out separatist sentiment and political dissent in his region. In return, he is rewarded with a lavish budget and the ability to govern Chechnya as his personal fief, persecuting those who disagree with him with impunity.

But the public nature of Musayeva’s abduction — and the Kremlin’s tacit acceptance of it — has upset that balance. Family members recorded the kidnapping and posted it almost immediately on social networks, horrifying Russians who chafe at Putin’s indulgence of Kadyrov.

“Putin made an agreement with Kadyrov and gave him the Chechen people as serfs,” said Ilya Yashin, a Russian opposition politician who wrote a report on the Chechen leader in 2016 after the assassination of another opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, in Moscow. The abduction, he said, constituted a power play that showed Kadyrov is above the law.

The reaction in Russia has hardly sidetracked Putin from his single-minded pursuit of his strategic goals. But it has provided a troubling domestic backdrop. In recent weeks, the Chechen leader’s actions have been a major story in Russia’s independent media. A petition initiated by Yashin to remove Kadyrov as Chechen leader has drawn 200,000 signatures.

This was not the first time Chechen forces have effectively operated outside their region — Kadyrov’s allies are believed to be responsible for the murders of his critics in Russia and in Western Europe. But this incident, in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, only 260 miles from Moscow, showed that “the geography of these abductions is expanding,” said Olga Sadovskaya of the Russia-based Committee Against Torture.

Musayeva’s sons Abubakar, 29, and Ibragim, 27, say they believe their mother was arrested because authorities could not reach them after they fled abroad, fearing they would be tortured and even killed.

Abubakar Yangulbayev, a human rights lawyer with the Committee Against Torture, has been a thorn in Kadyrov’s side because of the organization’s work exposing human rights abuses in Chechnya. Ibragim Yangulbayev is widely believed to be behind the popular Telegram channel 1ADAT, which advocates for Chechnya’s independence from Moscow and publishes materials that insult Kadyrov and the government.

“This is a hostage-taking with the demand that specific people — me and my brother — return to Chechnya to be lynched by Kadyrov,” Abubakar Yangulbayev said in a video interview from an undisclosed European city where he had sought protection. “This is typical terrorist behavior.”

Tanya Lokshina, of Human Rights Watch, said Musayeva’s forced return to Chechnya was “consistent with the long-standing pattern of collective punishment by which the Chechen leadership persecutes entire families, even distant relatives, for the alleged actions of one of their members.”

Chechen authorities pointed to a vitriolic Feb. 2 rally in the capital of Grozny that they say drew hundreds of thousands of people — an unverified number — as a sign of support for Kadyrov’s hardline approach against the Yangulbayevs. Participants cursed the family and burned photographs of them.

“That’s how Mr. Kadyrov shows the Kremlin that he is in control,” Lokshina said, referring to the rally.

Both brothers say they can be of more assistance to their mother from abroad. Human rights advocates say the charge against Musayeva is a dubious way of keeping her in detention for at least two months, despite the fact that, according to Russian law, diabetics cannot be held in special detention centers. In a hearing before the Chechen Supreme Court on Thursday, she asked to be held under house arrest, saying, “I am dying quietly.” Her request was denied. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

The actions against the Yangulbayev family and their supporters drew only a muted response from the Kremlin. After Putin met Kadyrov in Moscow last week, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the two men “discussed economic matters” and added that “topics related to the work of law enforcement agencies were touched upon,” without any elaboration, or condemnation.

Before that meeting, Kadyrov had branded Elena Milashina, a prominent journalist who writes about human rights abuses in Chechnya, and the head of the Committee Against Torture, Igor Kalyapin, “terrorist accomplices” because of their support for the Yangulbayevs. He said Chechen authorities “have always liquidated terrorists and their accomplices” and asked law enforcement bodies why no criminal cases had been opened against them.

Peskov said the comments constituted the Chechen leader’s “personal opinion.”

Some critics interpret the Kremlin’s silence on the issue as a sign of vulnerability for Putin’s government.

“This suggests that in the fight with Mr. Kadyrov, relatively speaking, the federal government is weak, and this weakness is felt and understood,” by the Kremlin, said Sadovskaya of the Committee Against Torture.

Many analysts say Putin simply does not care about Chechnya’s actions, no matter how brutal, as long as no one close to him is targeted.

Moscow fought two wars against Chechen separatists, from 1994-96 and 1999-2009, in which more than 160,000 people were killed.

Kadyrov fought alongside his father against Russia in the first Chechen war, but both defected to the Russian side during the second, becoming influential power brokers. The wars are seen today as a turning point for post-Soviet Russia because the crackdown against Chechnya boosted Putin’s image, facilitating his rise to power, and effectively put an end to the period of openness and liberalism that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Kadyrov’s father, Akhmad, became Chechnya’s first president but was assassinated in 2004. His son assumed the role in 2007, shortly after turning 30. Since then, his combination of coercive violence and the unconditional support of Putin have kept him in power.

He regularly pulls in more than 95% of the vote in elections. He advocates a conservative interpretation of Islam that suppresses women’s rights, and his security forces have orchestrated mass roundups of LGBTQ people.

“Chechnya is a classic dictatorial state led by a crazy tyrant who uses the law only for personal gain,” Abubakar Yangulbayev said. “And every year Putin says that Kadyrov is a great guy.”

His brother Ibragim, who advocates independence for Chechnya, said he believed Kadyrov was a “pure project of the Kremlin,” used to suppress the dissent of people like him, who seek independence from Moscow’s rule.

“Putin put Kadyrov in power in order to keep Chechnya forcibly in such a state that Chechnya would not think about independence at all,” he said, which is why his henchmen “kidnap people who say what they think.”

President Vladimir Putin of Russia is flexing his military and diplomatic muscle in a tense standoff with the West over Ukraine, projecting power and occasional menace in his pursuit of global influence.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia is flexing his military and diplomatic muscle in a tense standoff with the West over Ukraine, projecting power and occasional menace in his pursuit of global influence. But the recent abduction of a 52-year-old diabetic woman in central Russia has made clear that Putin still has vexing challenges in his own backyard that require a skillful political juggling act. The woman, Zarema Musayeva, was dragged from her apartment building in her slippers and pushed into a black SUV after men who identified themselves as police officers forced their way into her apartment and punched her husband, Sayda Yangulbayev, a 63-year-old retired federal judge from Chechnya, and their lawyer. The men had said they were supposed to take the couple to Chechnya, more than 1,100 miles away, to be questioned as witnesses in a fraud case, but it soon became clear that Musayeva’s abduction was part of a hunt for two of their sons, prominent government critics who had infuriated Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov. Now, three weeks later, Yangulbayev has fled Russia with his daughter, fearing for their safety, and Musayeva is being detained, charged with assaulting a police officer, although her lawyers say she can “hardly walk.” Kadyrov has vowed to “take care of" the family, saying “there’s a place waiting for Yangulbayev’s family, either in jail or under the ground." The episode has laid bare — not for the first time — the pitfalls of the devil’s bargain Putin has made with Kadyrov, a ruthless leader who exerts almost total control in Chechnya, a turbulent, predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus with a population of 1.4 million. The Chechen leader’s brutal excesses are part of an array of domestic difficulties facing Putin, even as he takes an increasingly aggressive stance on the world stage, amassing troops on Ukraine’s border and seeking to rewrite the European security architecture. Putin oversees an underperforming economy centered almost solely on oil and commodities. He has had to crack down on Russian dissidents like Alexei Navalny, driving many into exile with the threat of imprisonment. He has suppressed media criticism and tried to rewrite Russian history by liquidating the most prominent human rights group in Russia, whose work exposed the brutalities of the Soviet era. Kadyrov delivers strong electoral support for Putin while stamping out separatist sentiment and political dissent in his region. In return, he is rewarded with a lavish budget and the ability to govern Chechnya as his personal fief, persecuting those who disagree with him with impunity. But the public nature of Musayeva’s abduction — and the Kremlin’s tacit acceptance of it — has upset that balance. Family members recorded the kidnapping and posted it almost immediately on social networks, horrifying Russians who chafe at Putin’s indulgence of Kadyrov. “Putin made an agreement with Kadyrov and gave him the Chechen people as serfs,” said Ilya Yashin, a Russian opposition politician who wrote a report on the Chechen leader in 2016 after the assassination of another opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, in Moscow. The abduction, he said, constituted a power play that showed Kadyrov is above the law. The reaction in Russia has hardly sidetracked Putin from his single-minded pursuit of his strategic goals. But it has provided a troubling domestic backdrop. In recent weeks, the Chechen leader’s actions have been a major story in Russia’s independent media. A petition initiated by Yashin to remove Kadyrov as Chechen leader has drawn 200,000 signatures. This was not the first time Chechen forces have effectively operated outside their region — Kadyrov’s allies are believed to be responsible for the murders of his critics in Russia and in Western Europe. But this incident, in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, only 260 miles from Moscow, showed that “the geography of these abductions is expanding,” said Olga Sadovskaya of the Russia-based Committee Against Torture. Musayeva’s sons Abubakar, 29, and Ibragim, 27, say they believe their mother was arrested because authorities could not reach them after they fled abroad, fearing they would be tortured and even killed. Abubakar Yangulbayev, a human rights lawyer with the Committee Against Torture, has been a thorn in Kadyrov’s side because of the organization’s work exposing human rights abuses in Chechnya. Ibragim Yangulbayev is widely believed to be behind the popular Telegram channel 1ADAT, which advocates for Chechnya’s independence from Moscow and publishes materials that insult Kadyrov and the government. “This is a hostage-taking with the demand that specific people — me and my brother — return to Chechnya to be lynched by Kadyrov,” Abubakar Yangulbayev said in a video interview from an undisclosed European city where he had sought protection. “This is typical terrorist behavior.” Tanya Lokshina, of Human Rights Watch, said Musayeva’s forced return to Chechnya was “consistent with the long-standing pattern of collective punishment by which the Chechen leadership persecutes entire families, even distant relatives, for the alleged actions of one of their members.” Chechen authorities pointed to a vitriolic Feb. 2 rally in the capital of Grozny that they say drew hundreds of thousands of people — an unverified number — as a sign of support for Kadyrov’s hardline approach against the Yangulbayevs. Participants cursed the family and burned photographs of them. “That’s how Mr. Kadyrov shows the Kremlin that he is in control,” Lokshina said, referring to the rally. Both brothers say they can be of more assistance to their mother from abroad. Human rights advocates say the charge against Musayeva is a dubious way of keeping her in detention for at least two months, despite the fact that, according to Russian law, diabetics cannot be held in special detention centers. In a hearing before the Chechen Supreme Court on Thursday, she asked to be held under house arrest, saying, “I am dying quietly.” Her request was denied. She faces up to 10 years in prison. The actions against the Yangulbayev family and their supporters drew only a muted response from the Kremlin. After Putin met Kadyrov in Moscow last week, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the two men “discussed economic matters” and added that “topics related to the work of law enforcement agencies were touched upon,” without any elaboration, or condemnation. Before that meeting, Kadyrov had branded Elena Milashina, a prominent journalist who writes about human rights abuses in Chechnya, and the head of the Committee Against Torture, Igor Kalyapin, “terrorist accomplices” because of their support for the Yangulbayevs. He said Chechen authorities “have always liquidated terrorists and their accomplices” and asked law enforcement bodies why no criminal cases had been opened against them. Peskov said the comments constituted the Chechen leader’s “personal opinion.” Some critics interpret the Kremlin’s silence on the issue as a sign of vulnerability for Putin’s government. “This suggests that in the fight with Mr. Kadyrov, relatively speaking, the federal government is weak, and this weakness is felt and understood,” by the Kremlin, said Sadovskaya of the Committee Against Torture. Many analysts say Putin simply does not care about Chechnya’s actions, no matter how brutal, as long as no one close to him is targeted. Moscow fought two wars against Chechen separatists, from 1994-96 and 1999-2009, in which more than 160,000 people were killed. Kadyrov fought alongside his father against Russia in the first Chechen war, but both defected to the Russian side during the second, becoming influential power brokers. The wars are seen today as a turning point for post-Soviet Russia because the crackdown against Chechnya boosted Putin’s image, facilitating his rise to power, and effectively put an end to the period of openness and liberalism that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kadyrov’s father, Akhmad, became Chechnya’s first president but was assassinated in 2004. His son assumed the role in 2007, shortly after turning 30. Since then, his combination of coercive violence and the unconditional support of Putin have kept him in power. He regularly pulls in more than 95% of the vote in elections. He advocates a conservative interpretation of Islam that suppresses women’s rights, and his security forces have orchestrated mass roundups of LGBTQ people. “Chechnya is a classic dictatorial state led by a crazy tyrant who uses the law only for personal gain,” Abubakar Yangulbayev said. “And every year Putin says that Kadyrov is a great guy.” His brother Ibragim, who advocates independence for Chechnya, said he believed Kadyrov was a “pure project of the Kremlin,” used to suppress the dissent of people like him, who seek independence from Moscow’s rule. “Putin put Kadyrov in power in order to keep Chechnya forcibly in such a state that Chechnya would not think about independence at all,” he said, which is why his henchmen “kidnap people who say what they think.”

How a Chechen abduction exposes Putin’s problems at home

The world seems to be wondering why French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin sat at a great distance. &nbsp;

Well, after huge speculation, the reason seems to have been revealed on Thursday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/things-could-go-crazy-ukraine-accuses-russia-of-hybrid-war-amid-naval-drill-452265" hreflang="en">'Things could go crazy': Ukraine accuses Russia of 'hybrid war' in naval drill</a>

Before meeting Putin in Moscow, Macron was asked to take a Covid test. But as the French President refused, he was seated at the opposite end of a 13-foot-long table, a Reuters report said citing two sources in Macron's entourage. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Putin VS Macron... <a href="https://t.co/ZhXkBvmrTN">pic.twitter.com/ZhXkBvmrTN</a>
— Franjolittle (@Franjorodowski) <a href="https://twitter.com/Franjorodowski/status/1490793941163298817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine standoff, French President Emmanuel Macron had met Russian Vladimir Putin in Moscow. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Welcome to the first annual Putin and Macron’s weirdly large table photoshop challenge. Use this to make your own. Here are our entries. <a href="https://t.co/g2frrfVueT">pic.twitter.com/g2frrfVueT</a>
— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) <a href="https://twitter.com/FullFrontalSamB/status/1490834714101366787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Ever since reports came out that Russia had amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, hectic diplomatic parlays have been taking place to defuse the tense situation. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ultimatums-threats-from-west-on-ukraine-wont-work-against-russia-says-foreign-minister-452104" hreflang="en">Ultimatums, threats from West on Ukraine won’t work against Russia, says FM</a>

Even though the meeting took place in the backdrop of a war-like situation with the US and Russia exchanging warnings over the Ukraine crisis, an image of the two released by the state media certainly raised eyebrows of the netizens. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Will Putin and Macron do face painting after? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pointless?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pointless</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lipservice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lipservice</a> <a href="https://t.co/hi9agrWzmZ">pic.twitter.com/hi9agrWzmZ</a>
— Tarquin (@Tarquin_Helmet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tarquin_Helmet/status/1490792897599488002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The image drew a lot of attention. Not because of the issues discussed during the meeting, rather the way they were seated, left the twitteraits in splits. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The netizens couldn’t help notice how far Macron was sitting over a gigantic table from Putin. &nbsp;

It had led to a meme fest. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The world seems to be wondering why French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin sat at a great distance. Well, after huge speculation, the reason seems to have been revealed on Thursday.

The world seems to be wondering why French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin sat at a great distance. Well, after huge speculation, the reason seems to have been revealed on Thursday. Also Read: 'Things could go crazy': Ukraine accuses Russia of 'hybrid war' in naval drill Before meeting Putin in Moscow, Macron was asked to take a Covid test. But as the French President refused, he was seated at the opposite end of a 13-foot-long table, a Reuters report said citing two sources in Macron's entourage. Putin VS Macron... pic.twitter.com/ZhXkBvmrTN — Franjolittle (@Franjorodowski) February 7, 2022 × In an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine standoff, French President Emmanuel Macron had met Russian Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Welcome to the first annual Putin and Macron’s weirdly large table photoshop challenge. Use this to make your own. Here are our entries. pic.twitter.com/g2frrfVueT — Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) February 7, 2022 × Ever since reports came out that Russia had amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, hectic diplomatic parlays have been taking place to defuse the tense situation. Also Read: Ultimatums, threats from West on Ukraine won’t work against Russia, says FM Even though the meeting took place in the backdrop of a war-like situation with the US and Russia exchanging warnings over the Ukraine crisis, an image of the two released by the state media certainly raised eyebrows of the netizens. Will Putin and Macron do face painting after? #Ukraine #pointless #lipservice pic.twitter.com/hi9agrWzmZ — Tarquin (@Tarquin_Helmet) February 7, 2022 × The image drew a lot of attention. Not because of the issues discussed during the meeting, rather the way they were seated, left the twitteraits in splits. The netizens couldn’t help notice how far Macron was sitting over a gigantic table from Putin. It had led to a meme fest. (With inputs from agencies)

This is why Macron, Putin sat across long table in meeting, causing meme fest

The British Foreign Secretary's latest foray into international diplomacy has not gone as planned especially after she received a geography lesson from her Russian counterpart at their meeting in Moscow.

UK Foreign secretary mistakes Russian territory as Ukrainian, gets mocked for the gaffe

Amid rising tensions between the West and Russia over the Ukraine conflict. Watch a report from Krymske where people are living in a conflict zone.

Krymske: Life in a conflict zone

Ukrainian and Russian officials met in the German capital for talks on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine but nearly nine hours of talks failed to produce a breakthrough on signing a joint document. However, both sides have agreed to keep talks with French and German officials aimed at ending an eight-year separators conflict in eastern Ukraine but the lack of progress marked a setback for efforts to defuse the crisis. For more insights on this, we are joined by WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma live from Ukraine.

British PM Boris Johnson warns of 'Bloodshed' as diplomacy deadlock on Ukraine conflict continues

French President Emmanuel&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;refused&nbsp;a Kremlin request to take a&nbsp;Russian Covid test&nbsp;when he arrived to see President Vladimir&nbsp;Putin. There were many speculations as to why this was done. However, a Reuters report has now revealed that this was done to prevent Russia getting hold of&nbsp;Macron's&nbsp;DNA.&nbsp;

This is why Macron was kept at a distance from the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;leader during the talks on the Ukraine crisis in Moscow.&nbsp;

"We knew very well that meant no handshake and that long table. But we could not accept that they get their hands on the president's&nbsp;DNA," one of the sources told Reuters.

"The&nbsp;Russians told us&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;needed to be kept in a strict health bubble," the second source said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/things-could-go-crazy-ukraine-accuses-russia-of-hybrid-war-amid-naval-drill-452265">Also read |&nbsp;'Things could go crazy': Ukraine accuses Russia of 'hybrid war' amid naval drill</a>

When asked specifically about&nbsp;DNA&nbsp;theft,&nbsp;Macron’s office,&nbsp;"The president has doctors who define with him the rules that are acceptable or not in terms of his own health protocol."

In an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine standoff, Macron had met Putin in Moscow. &nbsp;

Ever since reports came out that Russia had amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, hectic diplomatic parlays have been taking place to defuse the tense situation. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

French President Emmanuel Macron refused a Kremlin request to take a Russian Covid test when he arrived to see President Vladimir Putin. There were many speculations as to why this was done.

French President Emmanuel Macron refused a Kremlin request to take a Russian Covid test when he arrived to see President Vladimir Putin. There were many speculations as to why this was done. However, a Reuters report has now revealed that this was done to prevent Russia getting hold of Macron's DNA. This is why Macron was kept at a distance from the Russian leader during the talks on the Ukraine crisis in Moscow. "We knew very well that meant no handshake and that long table. But we could not accept that they get their hands on the president's DNA," one of the sources told Reuters. "The Russians told us Putin needed to be kept in a strict health bubble," the second source said. Also read | 'Things could go crazy': Ukraine accuses Russia of 'hybrid war' amid naval drill When asked specifically about DNA theft, Macron’s office, "The president has doctors who define with him the rules that are acceptable or not in terms of his own health protocol." In an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine standoff, Macron had met Putin in Moscow. Ever since reports came out that Russia had amassed over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine borders, hectic diplomatic parlays have been taking place to defuse the tense situation. (With inputs from agencies)

Macron refused Russian Covid test in Putin trip due to DNA theft fears: Report

Ukrainian and Russian officials met in the German capital for talks on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine but nearly nine hours of talks failed to produce a breakthrough on signing a joint document. However, both sides have agreed to keep talks with French and German officials aimed at ending an eight-year separators conflict in eastern Ukraine but the lack of progress marked a setback for efforts to defuse the crisis.

Berlin talks fail to yield any breakthrough in defusing Ukraine conflict with Russia

The United States has asked the Americans living in Ukraine to leave the country as tensions mount over the Ukraine crisis. The diplomacy deadlock on the Ukraine conflict continues.

The US urges Americans in Ukraine to leave as diplomacy deadlock on Ukraine conflict continues

After a slew of diplomatic meetings trying to deescalate tensions over Ukraine, French president Emmanuel Macron briefed his US counterpart Joe Biden about his meetings with the top leaders. WION's correspondent Susan Tehrani brings in more information on this.

Russia-Ukraine tensions: Macron talks with Biden about his diplomatic meets with Putin and Zelensky

French president Emmanuel Macron became the first leader of a major western power to meet Vladimir Putin since Russian troops near Ukraine. Macron called for calm as he shuttled between Moscow and Kyiv and said that he believes that steps can be taken to de-escalate the crisis. WION's executive editor Palki Sharma brings ground zero report from Ukraine.

French President Macron calls for calm to resolve Ukraine crisis

Taking the west diplomacy forward to ease the Ukraine conflict and fears of a Russian invasion, French president Emmanuel Macron held talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow that lasted for over five hours. Sitting across a long table from Putin at the kremlin macron said that the discussion was a start towards de-escalation.

Macron: Putin assured me of his readiness to engage in Russia-Ukraine crisis

Putin says 'ready for compromises, will consider proposals by Macron'

French President Emmanuel Macron leads talks to dissuade Russia from invading Ukraine. Macron offers concrete ‘security guarantees’ to Moscow, details of which not yet known.

French President Emmanuel Macron offers concrete ‘security guarantees’ to Moscow

The Kremlin said on Monday (February 7) that it did not expect any major breakthrough from talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. But the Kremlin expected that Macron would propose ways to ease tensions in Europe.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pescov said in a briefing that the Ukraine Crisis was expected to dominate the talks between two leaders.

Moscow denies planning an invasion of Ukraine but is seeking security guarantees including a pledge that Ukraine must never allowed to join NATO.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/before-crucial-trip-to-russia-french-president-emmanuel-macron-talks-to-us-president-joe-biden-451105">Before crucial trip to Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron talks to US President Joe Biden</a>

The West has rejected that, but said it is willing to discuss other issues such as arms control.

Macron is expected to seek commitments from Putin to dial down the tensions.

"The situation is too complex to expect decisive breakthroughs in the course of one meeting," Peskov said.

But he said Russia was aware of certain ideas for lowering tensions that Macron had spoken about before and planned to share with Putin.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ex-ukraine-defence-chief-says-russia-could-seize-any-city-in-ukraine-but-will-it-plan-full-scale-invasion-451199">Ex-Ukraine defence chief says Russia could seize any city in Ukraine. But will it plan full-scale invasion?</a>

Peskov said it was not possible to speak of a lull in tensions while Western governments continued to talk about a looming Russian attack on Ukraine.

He said Moscow had heard nothing new in recent days on the security guarantees it is requesting, and "our Western interlocutors prefer not to mention this topic."

(With inputs from agencies)

The Kremlin said on Monday (February 7) that it did not expect any major breakthrough from talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

The Kremlin said on Monday (February 7) that it did not expect any major breakthrough from talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. But the Kremlin expected that Macron would propose ways to ease tensions in Europe. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pescov said in a briefing that the Ukraine Crisis was expected to dominate the talks between two leaders. Moscow denies planning an invasion of Ukraine but is seeking security guarantees including a pledge that Ukraine must never allowed to join NATO. Also Read | Before crucial trip to Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron talks to US President Joe Biden The West has rejected that, but said it is willing to discuss other issues such as arms control. Macron is expected to seek commitments from Putin to dial down the tensions. "The situation is too complex to expect decisive breakthroughs in the course of one meeting," Peskov said. But he said Russia was aware of certain ideas for lowering tensions that Macron had spoken about before and planned to share with Putin. Also Read | Ex-Ukraine defence chief says Russia could seize any city in Ukraine. But will it plan full-scale invasion? Peskov said it was not possible to speak of a lull in tensions while Western governments continued to talk about a looming Russian attack on Ukraine. He said Moscow had heard nothing new in recent days on the security guarantees it is requesting, and "our Western interlocutors prefer not to mention this topic." (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine Crisis: Expecting no decisive breakthrough from Putin-Macron talks, says Kremlin

Ukrainians prep to defend themselves as people prepare for a possible invasion by Ukraine amid Beijing Winter Olympics.

Ukrainians prep to defend themselves as people prepare for a possible invasion by Russia

US troops arrive in Poland, Germany while Russian bombers fly over Belarus. War fear mounts with possible invasion by Russia.

US troops arrive in Poland, Germany while Russian bombers fly over Belarus

How do Russia & Ukraine compare militarily? Which side are the odds stacked against? Who will have the edge in case of a war? Palki Sharma gets you a head-to-head military comparison.

Ukraine Vs Russia: Comparing the Military capabilities

Ukrainians prep to defend themselves as people prepare for a possible invasion by Ukraine while the world witnesses Beijing Winter Olympics.

Ukrainian ground troops need more ammunition amid a possible invasion by Russia

Ukrainians train for a possible invasion by Russia amid conflict

US troops arrive in Poland & Germany while Russian bombers fly over Belarus. War fear mounts with possible invasion by Russia. The US military aid also arrives in Ukraine.

Russian bombers fly over Belarus

WION on ground zero: The US military aid arrives in Ukraine amid conflict with Russia

For several months now since November, the leaders of the west, Russia, and indeed the United States have been engaged in an escalating war of words. The political shadow boxing has been over a possible Russian incursion into Ukraine, in the aftermath of Russia having amassed almost over a hundred thousand troops along the borders with eastern Ukraine.

Tensions escalate over Ukraine: Europe's big two are set to mediate crisis

Ukrainians prep to defend themselves as people prepare for possible invasion by Russia

In a bid to defuse tensions over the Ukraine crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron will embark to Moscow & Kyiv.

As tensions escalate over Ukraine, Europe's big two try to mediate crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Russia & Ukraine as tensions escalate

West sends weapons to Ukraine as tensions escalate with Russia

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