Paris  - French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended on Tuesday his diplomatic approach to Russia after its war with Georgia and spoke out in favour of Ukraine's territorial integrity at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, in Paris.

"Our prosperity and security depend on prosperity, stability and security (in Eastern Europe). We, Europe, want peaceful relations with Russia," Sarkozy said less than a day after negotiating the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia.

The EU's use of diplomatic threats, rather than sanctions, against Russia, coupled with a decision to push for an "exceptional relationship" with Ukraine, is "the only possible strategy," he said.

"The territorial integrity of Ukraine is perfectly non-negotiable for Europe," he said.

After August's war between Russia and Georgia, Moscow's refusal to pull troops out of Georgia and its recognition of two breakaway regions had sparked fears in Europe that it might be planning to back separatist movements in other neighbours, including Ukraine.

After a flying visit to Russia and Georgia on Monday, Sarkozy said that "nothing said yesterday in Moscow led me to believe that the question (of Ukraine's territorial integrity) would be asked."

But Yushchenko stressed that his country was deeply concerned by the actions of Russia's Black Sea fleet, which is stationed in Ukraine, in attacking Georgia during the war over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The future of the fleet, Russia's biggest strategic asset in the Black Sea, is a key bone of contention between Moscow and Yushchenko's pro-Western government.

"There is no way we can accept the Black Sea fleet being used as a threat against the security of a third country ... Hence the importance of talks to lay down more clearly in what circumstances the fleet could or should be used, in such a way that Ukraine is not involved in any conflict," Yushchenko said. (dpa)