The French president’s comments come after a disastrous EU summit in which the bloc failed to agree on stealing Russian assets
The EU should be open to reengaging in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as diplomacy regarding the Ukraine conflict is gaining momentum, French President Emmanuel Macron has said. The comments come after the bloc failed to agree on stealing frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Friday, Macron said some countries have already established contact with Moscow, adding that “Europeans and Ukrainians have an interest in finding the framework to reengage in that discussion properly.”
“I think it will become useful again to speak with Vladimir Putin,” Macron said, adding that without a structured framework, “we are discussing among ourselves while negotiators go alone to talk with the Russians. That’s not optimal.”
Macron’s comments come after EU leaders failed to agree on a contentious plan to use €210 billion ($246 billion) in frozen Russian assets as part of a ‘reparations loan’ for Ukraine, which faces an estimated $160 billion fiscal shortfall over the next two years. The plan collapsed largely due to opposition from Belgium, which holds the bulk of the assets and has warned of potential legal and financial fallout.
Instead, EU leaders agreed to raise funds on capital markets to provide Ukraine with a hefty multi-year loan. The move, however, underscores a rift within the EU, as several member states secured opt-outs.
Russia has condemned Western proposals to use its frozen assets, calling them “theft,” and has warned of legal retaliation. Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the collapse of the plan, saying: “The whole world just watched you fail to bully others into breaking the law.”
Putin and Macron last spoke by phone in July – the only time since 2022 – and discussed the Ukraine conflict. One month prior, the French president advised other EU states to consider restoring dialogue with Moscow.
Russia has denounced EU militarization but said it is, in principle, ready for engagement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested, however, that Europe’s participation in talks on the Ukraine conflict “would bode nothing good.”
