Macron, Putin agree to work for ceasefire

Russia-Ukraine news from February 20: Macron and Putin agree on necessity of a diplomatic solution to ongoing crisis.

Sunday, February 20, 2022

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have agreed to work for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, with the foreign ministers of the two countries set to meet in the coming days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is willing to meet Putin to find out "what the Russian president wants” and seek a "peaceful settlement” amid growing concern over a possible imminent invasion.

Violence in eastern Ukraine has spiked in recent days. Fighting has broken out sporadically for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from Russia-backed rebels, but the recent shelling and bombing spike could set off a full-scale war.

The live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. Here are the updates for February 20.