Germany, France, Ukraine urge Russia to withdraw troops

The leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine have urged Russia to withdraw troops it has amassed on its border with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea over recent weeks.

The leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine, after holding a video conference on Friday, urged Russia to withdraw the additional troops it has amassed on its border with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea over recent weeks.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared concern over the military build-up, the chancellery in Berlin said in a statement, adding, "They demanded the withdrawal of these reinforcements to reach a de-escalation."

Zelenskyy traveled to Paris to meet Macron where the two also spoke with Merkel via video link to address Russia's recent troop deployments.

The talks came as Kyiv and the West have reacted alarmingly in recent weeks over the Kremlin's military presence along the Russia-Ukraine border.

The leaders of Ukraine, Germany and France want to deescalate tensions in the region and hope Friday's talks are a step in that direction.

Action speaks louder

And Zelenskyy wants action,