Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, is backing separatists in the eastern part of the country, and has massed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border.
It has said it is not planning an invasion but could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met.
Moscow sees NATO’s addition of 14 new east European members since the Cold War ended three decades ago as an encroachment on its sphere of influence and a threat to its security.
“If Ukraine joins NATO and tries to get Crimea back by military means, European countries will automatically be drawn into military conflict with Russia,” Putin said, speaking with heavy emphasis. “There will be no winners.”
He urged Ukraine to comply with the Minsk agreements, which include an aim to end the separatist war by Russian-speakers in the Donbass region.
Macron said the independence of Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, where Russia is engaged in military exercises, must be preserved and that he was certain of progress.
“Together … I’m sure we will get a result, even if it’s not easy,” said the French leader.
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In Washington, US President Joe Biden, hosting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said there was still a diplomatic off-ramp to resolve the crisis, stressing the United States and Europe’s biggest economy were “in lockstep”.
The two nations will also ensure sanctions can be imposed quickly in the event of a fresh attack, Scholz told reporters. “It will have very high costs for Russia,” he said.
While the West has ruled out defending Ukraine with military force, it has promised to use an arsenal of tools including arms shipments and reinforcement of nearby NATO countries.
Last week, Biden ordered nearly 3,000 US troops to deploy in Poland and Romania to better protect NATO’s eastern flank. Germany announced on Monday it would deploy 350 troops to Lithuania to reinforce a NATO battle group.
On her second visit to Kyiv in three weeks, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock promised unequivocal support, stressing that Germany was willing to pay a high economic price to contain Moscow.
Ukrainian officials have publicly criticised Berlin for refusing to sell defensive weapons to Kyiv and over its perceived reluctance to stop gas flowing through the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia if Moscow launches an attack.
Nord Stream 2 is designed to double the amount of gas flowing from Russia straight to Germany, bypassing traditional transit nation Ukraine.
President Joe Biden reiterated on Monday a US threat that the energy project, which is still awaiting final approval, will not go ahead if Russia launches an incursion into Ukraine. He did not specify how he would ensure that.
European countries are heavily reliant on Russian energy, high prices for which are already fuelling inflation.
Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned last week of “geopolitical clouds” over the European economy.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said “a frank conversation” with Baerbock about weapons had found “both common ground and a draft solution” but did not give details.
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