The Albany Gazette - Macron says work under way to resume contact with Putin

Macron said last year he believed Europe should reach back out to Putin, rather than leaving the United States alone to take the lead in negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine that started with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

"It is being prepared and so discussions are taking place at a technical level," Macron said Tuesday in response to a question during a visit to northeastern France.

He said the preparations to resume dialogue with Putin were being done "transparently" and in consultation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies.

He said France continued to support Ukraine but contact with the Kremlin was needed to negotiate security guarantees after the war.

"In this context, it is important that Europeans restore their own channels of discussion," he said.

Macron did not give a specific timeframe.

"I think it would be useful, but I don't think Russia is currently willing to conclude a peace agreement in the coming days or weeks."

"We continue to support Ukraine, which is under bombardment, in the cold, with attacks on civilians and on Ukraine's energy infrastructure by the Russians, which is intolerable and does not demonstrate a genuine willingness to negotiate for peace."

Dialogue between the EU and Russia has been virtually frozen since the offensive launched in 2022. The bloc has imposed huge sanctions and travel restrictions on Russia.

In January, the Kremlin said it considered calls by some European states to resume dialogue with Russia as "positive".

Macron had been criticised for continuing to speak to Putin for months after the start of the full-scale invasion, but then ceased all contact and shifted his focus to supporting Ukraine.

(B.Smith--TAG)