Russia is aggressor in Donbas, which is common knowledge – Macron

Russia is acting as an aggressor in eastern Ukraine, and this is a commonly known fact, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

"Aggression emanates from Russia, that is, the aggressor is not Ukraine. We also acknowledge that the annexation of Crimea is illegal, which means we all know who started the war, who created this situation, and in what situation we are now," Macron said at a joint news briefing with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Paris on Monday.

Poroshenko said the Ukrainian military had detained Russian citizens in Donbas on Sunday and showed their documents and testimony to his French counterpart.

Poroshenko said this would make it more difficult for Russia to assert that there are no regular Russian forces in Donbas.