Macron Seeks European Dialogue With Russia’s Putin

PARIS: (Web Desk) – French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his intention to involve European partners in renewed dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, nearly four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Macron made the remarks following the visit of his senior adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, to Moscow last week — the first high-level engagement of its kind since the February 2022 invasion. While acknowledging that Russia currently shows little willingness to pursue peace, Macron said the visit helped reopen communication channels at a technical level.

Speaking in an interview with several European newspapers, including Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung, Macron said the discussions confirmed that Moscow is not yet ready for peace talks. However, he emphasized the importance of restoring dialogue mechanisms to prepare the ground for future engagement.

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The French president said his goal is to coordinate any renewed talks with European partners and establish a structured, unified European approach. He stressed that negotiations should be conducted with a limited number of interlocutors operating under a clear mandate.

Macron reiterated his view that Europe must take a more active role in engaging Russia rather than relying solely on the United States to lead negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. He argued that Russia will remain a permanent factor in Europe’s security landscape, making dialogue unavoidable.

He underlined that any European engagement with Moscow must be conducted without naivety, without pressuring Ukraine, and without dependence on external mediators.

The Kremlin welcomed Macron’s remarks, saying it supports dialogue and is awaiting concrete proposals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow believes sustained communication can help address complex international challenges.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously said President Putin was open to direct contact with Macron, following the visit of the French adviser. The two leaders last spoke by phone in July, marking their first direct conversation in more than two-and-a-half years.

Macron had maintained contact with Putin during the early months of the war after unsuccessfully attempting to dissuade him from invading Ukraine in early 2022. However, regular communication ended after a phone call in September of that year.