Macron urges European leaders to consider resuming dialogue with Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on European leaders to explore restarting diplomatic discussions with Russia, saying Europe must be prepared to manage its long-term relationship with Moscow.

Speaking in an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, Macron said he had encouraged several European counterparts to reconsider opening channels of communication with Russia, Caliber.Az reports.

He acknowledged that some leaders believe it is too soon to re-engage diplomatically.

“My idea is simple: do we want to delegate discussions on the matter to someone else?” Macron said. He added that Europe’s geography makes continued engagement unavoidable, noting that Russia would remain a neighbour regardless of political tensions.

The French president stressed that renewed dialogue should not come at the expense of Ukraine or signal a weakening of European support for Kyiv.

He said discussions should be conducted “without being naïve or putting pressure on the Ukrainians”, while allowing Europe to act independently rather than relying on external powers to lead negotiations.

Macron also suggested that resuming talks with Moscow could be considered as early as December.

By Aghakazim Guliyev