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05.02.26 22:46
What is happening behind the scenes of the trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine meetings?
As trilateral negotiations on the Ukrainian issue in Abu Dhabi reached a "deadlock," quiet diplomatic action was underway behind the scenes on a different... front.
Specifically, as Reuters reports, citing its sources, Macron sent his diplomatic advisor, Emmanuel Bonne, to Moscow on Tuesday to meet with his Russian counterpart and prepare for the resumption of dialogue that the French president desires with Vladimir Putin.
The advisor to the head of the French state quietly met with Yuri Ushakov, the advisor to the Russian president, confirming the information reported by the French weekly news magazine L'Express.
The trip to Moscow, which neither the Élysée nor the Kremlin wished to confirm or deny, is the first of its kind since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. And it should be one of the final stages before a potential upcoming phone call between the two leaders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was informed of this demarche by his French counterpart, according to the source.
When questioned, Emmanuel Macron's entourage limited itself to referring to the presidential statements of Tuesday, emphasizing that "discussions are taking place at a technical level with transparency and in coordination with President Zelensky and with the main European colleagues."
On Tuesday, the French president had stated that the resumption of dialogue with Putin was "being prepared" at a "technical level," without further clarification.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov ironically remarked today about "French sources" who "like to leak certain information." "We also know that the Élysée Palace neither confirmed nor denied, and, in full solidarity, we will neither confirm nor deny," he told reporters.
Russian President Ready for a "Serious Conversation" by Phone with Macron
In an interview with the Russian media outlet RT broadcast today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Putin is ready for a phone call with his French counterpart for "serious conversations."
Lavrov also criticized the French leader's repeated statements about a potential restart of dialogue with Moscow: "Macron, about two weeks ago, even stated 'I will call Putin one day.' This is not serious, you know, this is a kind of passive diplomacy," he stressed.
The overwhelming majority of European leaders keep the Russian president at a distance due to the war in Ukraine. However, since Donald Trump moved closer to Putin, the temptation is great to re-establish contact so that the American president is not left alone to engage in dialogue.
In December, Emmanuel Macron had stated that "it would be useful again to speak with Vladimir Putin," a welcome statement from the Kremlin.
The French president had been criticized for continuing to speak with his Russian counterpart for months after the start of the Russian offensive, but then cut off all contact, adopting an increasingly sharper tone towards Moscow.
Macron and Putin last spoke in early July, primarily regarding diplomatic efforts to oversee the Iranian nuclear program. At that time, they expressed their differences regarding Ukraine.
Their previous phone call was on September 11, 2022.
The advisor to the head of the French state quietly met with Yuri Ushakov, the advisor to the Russian president, confirming the information reported by the French weekly news magazine L'Express.
The trip to Moscow, which neither the Élysée nor the Kremlin wished to confirm or deny, is the first of its kind since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. And it should be one of the final stages before a potential upcoming phone call between the two leaders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was informed of this demarche by his French counterpart, according to the source.
When questioned, Emmanuel Macron's entourage limited itself to referring to the presidential statements of Tuesday, emphasizing that "discussions are taking place at a technical level with transparency and in coordination with President Zelensky and with the main European colleagues."
On Tuesday, the French president had stated that the resumption of dialogue with Putin was "being prepared" at a "technical level," without further clarification.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov ironically remarked today about "French sources" who "like to leak certain information." "We also know that the Élysée Palace neither confirmed nor denied, and, in full solidarity, we will neither confirm nor deny," he told reporters.
Russian President Ready for a "Serious Conversation" by Phone with Macron
In an interview with the Russian media outlet RT broadcast today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Putin is ready for a phone call with his French counterpart for "serious conversations."
"If you want to talk, and to talk seriously about something, oh well, then call. Putin will always answer the phone. He listens to all proposals," Lavrov said, emphasizing that for every "serious proposal," there will be a "concrete and pragmatic" reaction from the Kremlin.
Lavrov also criticized the French leader's repeated statements about a potential restart of dialogue with Moscow: "Macron, about two weeks ago, even stated 'I will call Putin one day.' This is not serious, you know, this is a kind of passive diplomacy," he stressed.
The overwhelming majority of European leaders keep the Russian president at a distance due to the war in Ukraine. However, since Donald Trump moved closer to Putin, the temptation is great to re-establish contact so that the American president is not left alone to engage in dialogue.
In December, Emmanuel Macron had stated that "it would be useful again to speak with Vladimir Putin," a welcome statement from the Kremlin.
The French president had been criticized for continuing to speak with his Russian counterpart for months after the start of the Russian offensive, but then cut off all contact, adopting an increasingly sharper tone towards Moscow.
Macron and Putin last spoke in early July, primarily regarding diplomatic efforts to oversee the Iranian nuclear program. At that time, they expressed their differences regarding Ukraine.
Their previous phone call was on September 11, 2022.
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