Macron on talks with Putin: It's not a matter of days

President of France Emmanuel Macron believes that there is no urgent need to start a dialog with the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. He expressed this opinion after an informal summit of EU leaders in Belgium, the French newspaper quoted him as saying Le Figaro.

Macron said that there was no need to urgently start contacts with Putin, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between Europeans.

"This is not a matter of a few days, we are preparing," the French president said.

He emphasized that now Europeans "should focus primarily on ourselves, on what we want to ask for."

According to Macron, Europeans should prepare to start a discussion with the Russian dictator "at the right time."

"What do we want? We want security guarantees for Ukraine, but we also want something for Europeans," he said, adding that it is "a question of prosperity, the future of our Europe and the security architecture."

• On December 19, 2025, Macron said that Europeans will have to find a way to resume a dialog with Russia directly. He believes that it is useful to talk to Putin again.
• On December 21, Zelenskyy confirmed that Macron had discussed direct dialogue with Russia if America failed to stop the occupiers. But the president believes that we need to fight for the participation of the United States in the peaceful dialog.
• On February 4, 2026, it was reported that a French diplomat was flying to Russia for talks with Russian officials.