Macron Says Europe Must Open Direct Dialogue With Putin

By Staff, Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron said European leaders will ultimately need to establish their own channel of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, rather than relying on the United States as an intermediary.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Macron stressed that Europe must play a direct role in any future settlement.

“Either a lasting peace is reached, or we find ways for Europeans to re-engage in a dialogue with Russia, in transparency and association with Ukraine. It will become useful again to speak to Vladimir Putin,” he said.

His remarks followed a decision by European Union leaders on December 19 to extend a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, while shelving a controversial proposal to seize frozen Russian state assets.

Macron warned that sidelining Europe from talks would weaken its influence over the outcome. “We, Europeans and Ukrainians, have an interest in finding the right framework to re-engage in this discussion in a proper manner,” he said, adding that it is not ideal for negotiations to be conducted indirectly through third parties.

The comments come as Washington increasingly takes the lead in diplomatic efforts. Russia, meanwhile, is preparing further contacts with the United States to clarify how US President Donald Trump’s peace plan has evolved following discussions with Kiev.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said American negotiators led by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff have been consulting Russian officials in recent weeks.

Another round of talks concluded in Berlin on December 15, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, EU leaders, and Witkoff, who said “a lot of progress” had been made.