UK, French foreign ministers discuss 'challenging aggressors like Russia'

London [UK], December 12 : UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Saturday discussed international and bilateral issues with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Liverpool, during the G7 foreign ministers' meeting.
"As fellow free-market democracies with historic ties, they agreed that the UK and France must make common cause in promoting freedom and democracy globally and challenging aggressors like Russia. The Foreign Secretary stressed the need for a practical, pragmatic approach to bilateral issues like migration, fishing rights and trade," the British Foreign Office said in a statement.
This meeting comes amid the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting, which is taking place from December 11 and 12.
During the meeting, the two ministers also discussed cooperation in the Sahel, and agreed on the importance of deepening economic, security and development ties with allies and working together to boost economic growth in low and middle-income countries.
"Good discussion with Foreign Minister JY Le Drian in Liverpool at the G7. We are working with France on: Rightwards arrow Promoting freedom and democracy globally. Rightwards arrow Standing up to malign actors, including Russia. Rightwards arrow Practical, pragmatic solutions to bilateral issues," Truss tweeted after the meeting.
In the past few weeks, Kyiv and other US allies have accused Moscow of amassing troops near its border with Ukraine. Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly rejected the accusations saying that the West wants to use them as an excuse to deploy NATO military equipment near the Russian border.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone call with US President Joe Biden and discussed the alleged gathering of Russian troops near Ukraine's borders.