The French president’s remarks follow a disastrous EU summit where the bloc was unable to reach an agreement on seizing Russian assets
The EU ought to be open to re-engaging in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as diplomatic efforts concerning the Ukraine conflict are gathering pace, French President Emmanuel Macron has stated. These remarks follow the bloc’s failure to agree on seizing frozen Russian assets to assist Ukraine.
Addressing reporters in Brussels on Friday, Macron noted that certain countries have already initiated contact with Moscow, adding that “Europeans and Ukrainians stand to benefit from establishing a framework to properly re-engage in that dialogue.”
“I believe it will once again be beneficial to communicate with Vladimir Putin,” Macron stated, noting that without a structured framework, “we are conversing among ourselves while negotiators go off individually to talk with the Russians. That is not ideal.”
Macron’s remarks follow a situation where EU leaders were unable to reach consensus on a controversial proposal to utilize €210 billion ($246 billion) in frozen Russian assets as part of a “reparations loan” for Ukraine, which is projected to face a $160 billion fiscal deficit over the next two years. The plan fell through primarily due to opposition from Belgium, which holds the majority of the assets and has cautioned about possible legal and financial repercussions.
Instead, EU leaders agreed to raise funds on capital markets to offer Ukraine a substantial multi-year loan. This decision, however, highlights a division within the EU, as several member states obtained exemptions.
Russia has criticized Western proposals to use its frozen assets, labeling them “theft,” and has threatened legal action. Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev praised the plan’s collapse, stating: “The entire world just witnessed your failure to strong-arm others into breaking the law.”
Putin and Macron last held a phone conversation in July – the sole instance since 2022 – during which they discussed the Ukraine conflict. A month earlier, the French president urged other EU nations to consider re-establishing dialogue with Moscow.
Russia has criticized EU militarization but has stated it is, in principle, willing to engage. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, suggested that Europe’s involvement in talks on the Ukraine conflict “would bring no positive outcome.”