Macron says he has no plans to meet Putin for now

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he currently has no plans to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: Macron's comments to Le Figaro

Details: Macron explained that there is no urgent need to open a dialogue with Putin at the moment, but it makes sense to strengthen cooperation within the European Union.

Quote: "This is not a matter of days, we are just getting ready. I think that what we need to do right now is focus on ourselves and on what we want to ask for."

Details: Le Figaro noted that in December, Macron had announced his intention to restore direct contact with Putin, which had largely been interrupted due to the war in Ukraine. He sent a diplomatic adviser to Moscow in early February to prepare for such contact.

Quote: "What do we want? We want security guarantees for Ukraine, but we also want certain things for Europeans."

Background:

• In December, Macron said Europeans should resume direct talks with Putin. European leaders, wary of Russia's military ambitions, have expressed frustration at being excluded from peace negotiations led by US President Donald Trump's administration.
• In February, Macron told journalists that efforts to restore dialogue with Putin were ongoing at a technical level and that such interactions were being coordinated with Ukraine.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he supports the idea of dialogue with Russia, provided that such engagements do not interfere with negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
• Later, Macron said he had reached out to several European leaders with a proposal to join efforts to restore direct dialogue with Putin.

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