Diplomatic contact with Moscow was cut after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022
French President Emmanuel Macron © Nicolas Economou / NurPhoto via Getty Images
[RT] Ukraine’s
European backers are preparing for possible talks with Russian
President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron said on
Tuesday.
The EU and UK cut off diplomatic communication with
Moscow following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The
Russian and French leaders last spoke by phone in July – their first
conversation in over three years.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Macron said a resumption of dialogue with Putin “is being prepared” and described any future talks as potentially “useful.”
“Discussions are taking place at the technical level to prepare this,” he said, answering a reporter who asked the French president about his call in December for the EU to start talks with Moscow.
Macron added that preparations for resuming dialogue were being handled “transparently” in consultation with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and “our main European colleagues.”
The French president’s remarks are the latest push from Paris for talks with Putin.
On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noel Barrot urged the EU to establish a direct channel of communication with Russia.
In an interview with Liberation, Barrot said France had “never ruled out, in principle, engaging with Russia,” provided any talks were “beneficial” and conducted transparently with Ukraine and the EU.
The
remarks by French officials reflect growing concern among EU member
states that their influence has been diminished by US President Donald
Trump. Since returning to office last year, Trump has sought to broker
an end to the Ukraine conflict through direct talks between Kiev and
Moscow.
Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have
previously called on the EU to appoint a special envoy to Russia to
ensure the bloc has a voice at the negotiating table.
Russian
officials have repeatedly said they are open to good‑faith negotiations,
provided Western countries respect Moscow’s security concerns and
abandon their goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia through
Ukraine.