For Zelensky, Macron tries to dialogue with Putin “in vain”

Volodymyr Zelensky takes a dim view of communications between Moscow and Paris. According to the Ukrainian president, Emmanuel Macron is trying “in vain” to dialogue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian head of state also judged that it was “not correct” that the French president was ready, according to him, to “make diplomatic concessions” to Russia.

“We must not look for a way out for Russia, and Macron is doing it in vain”, regretted Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday evening on the Italian television channel RAI 1, according to images broadcast on Friday on his Telegram channel. “I know he wanted to get results in the mediation between Russia and Ukraine, but he didn’t get any,” he said.

Allowing Putin to “save face”

“Until Russia itself wants and understands that it needs [de la fin de la guerre], she will not look for any way out, ”added the Ukrainian president. Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that, to end the war waged in Ukraine by the Russian army, peace will have to be built without “humiliating” Russia.

For Volodymyr Zelensky, however, “Macron does not need to make diplomatic concessions [à la Russie] now “. He judged this approach “not very correct” to, in his eyes, allow Vladimir Putin to “save face”, at a time when the Russians are still trying to take control of southern and eastern Ukraine.

The time for discussion “is over”

The Ukrainian president also felt that “the time to sit around a table with Russia is over”. “It’s no longer possible,” he said. “The President of the Republic has never discussed anything with Vladimir Putin without the agreement of President Zelensky. He has always said that it was up to the Ukrainians to decide the terms of their negotiation with the Russians, ”defended the Elysée for his part on Friday.

After several sessions of talks between kyiv and Moscow in March, discussions have since stalled, the positions of the two parties being too far apart. “Today, dialogue [avec Moscou] must be pragmatic,” he added. Volodymyr Zelensky, however, once again repeated his desire to meet Vladimir Putin, “but only with him, without any mediator”. “And with a dialogue approach, not [en lançant] ultimatums,” he said.