Macron calls for continued dialogue with Russia to end the war in Ukraine

MADRID, 1 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has advocated this Thursday from the Elysée Palace for the continuation of the dialogue with Russia after the negotiations have been paralyzed after the meeting last March between the parties in Istanbul.

"Who wants Turkey to be the only power in the world that continues to talk to Russia?" he pointed out, adding that it is necessary to "assume that you can talk to everyone, especially those with whom we disagree", as as the French station France Info has collected.

Macron, who in recent months has spoken on several occasions with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to try to end the Ukrainian conflict, has not closed the door to trying again. These contacts have always been in coordination with the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, and also with the EU partners and allies.

The French president spoke for the last time with his Russian counterpart on August 19, being the first conversation between the two leaders since May 28, when they held a three-way phone call with the participation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

In fact, Macron and Putin discussed during their last call in August speeding up the procedures for a visit by a mission of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Ukraine, which arrived precisely this Thursday to assess the impact of fighting around Zaporizhia.

The last direct contact between Russia and Ukraine occurred in the Turkish city of Istanbul in late March during a round of negotiations to try to end the war. However, talks have stalled to this day.

kyiv has indicated that it will not negotiate until Moscow removes all its troops from Ukrainian soil. The Ukrainian government considers it impossible to go back "given the war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine."