Media: Macron’s senior diplomat holds talks in Moscow on Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron’s top diplomat, Emmanuel Bonne, held talks with Russian officials in Moscow on February 3.

Bonne, who has led Macron’s diplomatic team since 2019, reportedly met senior Kremlin officials to discuss key issues, with Ukraine at the forefront, Caliber.Az reports via The Straits Times.

The French presidency did not explicitly confirm the talks but said: “As the President said during his doorstep yesterday, discussions exist at a technical level in full transparency and in consultation with President Zelenskyy and with the main European colleagues.”

Two diplomatic sources said European allies had been informed of the initiative and that Bonne met Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Macron has previously indicated the need for European engagement in peace efforts. In December, he said Europeans would have to re-engage in direct talks with Putin if the latest US-led attempts to broker a Ukraine peace deal fail.

European leaders, wary of Putin’s military ambitions, have expressed concern at being sidelined from US-led negotiations, prompting efforts to support Ukraine’s negotiating position from the margins.

On 3 February, Macron told reporters that efforts were underway to restart dialogue with Putin. “It’s being prepared, and so there are discussions that are being held at a technical level,” he said, adding that it was being done in consultation with Ukraine.

“It’s important that the Europeans restore their own channels of discussion.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev