France's Macron discusses status of Donbass region with Russia's Putin, Ukraine's Zelensky

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron held separate talks with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders on Thursday to try to make progress on the status of the Donbass region as part of efforts to defuse tensions, the French presidency said in a statement.

The statement said Macron had underscored to Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky the importance of discussing the conditions to reach strategic balance in Europe which would enable a reduction in tension on the ground and guarantee security on the continent.