REUTERS

"As for the possible discussion of the Ukrainian scenario at the upcoming meeting with Macron on Monday, President Putin's position is well known. He very consistently pursues the course that there is the need to settle that internal Ukrainian problem. He sees the Minsk agreements as the only tool currently available in the arsenal for the settlement, and it should be used," Putin's press secretary Dmitriy Peskov said on Friday, May 26, answering a question what position President Putin will present at the Paris talks.

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He also noted that Putin stands for further work within the "Normandy format," which involves Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine, but he is rather "pessimistic about the current Minsk implementation dynamics demonstrated by the Ukrainian side."

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"Everybody is aware of that approach – it's not something novel and it's inconsistent," Peskov stressed.

As UNIAN reported, Putin is visiting Paris on May 29 at Macron's invitation.

The agenda of the talks includes the current state and prospects for Russian-French relations, as well as an exchange of views on topical international and regional issues. They primarily concern coordination of efforts in the fight against terrorism and the settlement of the crises in Syria and Ukraine.

Putin and Macron are scheduled to jointly open an exhibition in the Palace of Versailles dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Tsar Peter I's trip to France.