French President Emmanuel Macron has again called for restarting direct talks between Europeans and the Kremlin.
Engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin should be “well organized” and held in a small group, he said in an interview published Tuesday, February 10, by Süddeutsche Zeitung, El País and several other European newspapers.
At the same time, Macron stressed that initial “technical” contacts confirmed Russia has no desire to end the war against Ukraine. He said he sent his diplomatic adviser to Moscow in early February to prepare for direct contacts with Russia’s leadership. “What did I achieve? Confirmation that Russia does not want peace right now. But above all, we restored those discussion channels at a technical level,” he said.
Macron said he now plans to share this experience with European partners to build a “well-organized European approach” to dialogue with the Kremlin — one conducted without “too many interlocutors,” with a clear mandate and streamlined representation.
The French leader also rejected the idea of handing this engagement to the United States, which is already holding talks with Russia. It’s unacceptable, he argued, to let American envoys negotiate on Europe’s behalf over the date of Ukraine’s EU accession in the event of a ceasefire. “Our geography will not change. Whether we like it or not, Russia will still be there tomorrow. And it’s right on our doorstep,” he said. After peace is reached in Ukraine, Europeans “will have to build a new security architecture in Europe with Russia,” he added.
Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s territorial claims in the Arctic, Macron spoke of a “deep geopolitical rift” with the United States. “We are now in a phase I would call a ‘Greenland moment,’” he said. That moment “has undoubtedly made Europeans realize they are under threat” and unsure “how far the Americans are prepared to go,” he added.
Addressing trade tensions with the US and China, Macron again urged issuing eurobonds and strengthening protection for European industry. “I mean not protectionism but a preference for European products,” he said. Investments, he added, should primarily target the defense industry, green technologies, artificial intelligence and the development of quantum computers.
Macron welcomed the strengthening of relations between France and Germany following the rise to power of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “The Franco-German partnership is necessary to move Europe forward. But on its own, it’s not enough,” he said, pointing as well to deepening cooperation between both countries and Italy.
