French President Emmanuel Macron said it was “unacceptable” that Russian troops are amassing along Ukraine’s eastern border and called for a tough stance against the threat of fresh military aggression from Moscow.

“The situation today and the level of tension at the border is absolutely counterproductive and unacceptable,” Macron said in an interview that aired on Sunday, DPA news agency reported. While he was in favour of accelerating diplomatic efforts to ease the tensions, Macron said the discussions with Moscow needed to be “clear and tough”.