Macron Advocates for European Dialogue with Putin Amid Ukraine Peace Efforts

French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Friday that he believes it would be «beneficial» for Europe to reconnect with Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially as U.S. President Donald Trump advocates for a swift peace agreement in Ukraine.

«I think it’s in our interest as Europeans and Ukrainians to establish an appropriate framework for reinitiating this dialogue,» he noted, adding that Europeans should find a way to do this «in the coming weeks.»

«Otherwise, we risk merely discussing matters among ourselves while U.S. negotiators engage with the Russians independently, which isn’t ideal,» Macron remarked.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration is participating in shuttle diplomacy involving Europe and Ukraine on one side and Russia on the other, aiming to finalize a U.S.-proposed peace agreement.

Reportedly, Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special economic envoy, is set to travel to the U.S. this weekend to discuss potential adjustments to the American-designed plan following U.S. discussions with Ukrainian and European leaders in Berlin earlier this week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated on Thursday that Moscow is preparing to communicate with the U.S. to understand the outcomes of those talks.

Macron addressed journalists on Friday after EU leaders in Brussels reached a late-night consensus to provide Ukraine with a loan of 90 billion euros (approximately $105.4 billion) to address its impending budget deficits.

They were unable to reach an agreement on using frozen Russian assets due to opposition from Belgium and pro-Russian EU countries, Slovakia and Hungary. Meanwhile, Moscow is pursuing damages in its arbitration court regarding the potential use of its frozen assets.

Macron spoke with Putin for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in July, urging him to agree to a ceasefire as soon as possible. The Russian president reiterated his position, first articulated in the summer of 2024, that any peace agreement should be sustainable and tackle the «root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.»

European leaders have previously resisted calls for direct negotiations with Putin, citing his apparent disinterest in sincere peace discussions.

AFP also contributed to this report.