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French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to send a letter to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and reiterated his support for direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Kremlin, UATV English reports.
Speaking on the sidelines of the EU–Western Balkans summit in Montenegro on June 5, Macron praised Zelenskyy’s initiative and called for renewed diplomatic engagement.
“I think it is a good initiative, and it is good that discussions can resume,” Macron said, commenting on the Ukrainian president’s open letter.
The French leader noted that Europeans have been “the largest contributors to Ukraine’s military effort” and therefore should eventually be represented at negotiations on a future peace plan.
“This concerns the architecture of peace and security for Europeans, given our geography,” he added.
Macron stressed that France has consistently supported direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia.
“We have always advocated direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Kremlin. I will be frank with you. I believe that today it is Ukraine and Russia that can build both a ceasefire and a peace plan,” he said.
As previously reported, President Zelenskyy sent a letter to Putin proposing a direct meeting to discuss possible pathways toward ending the war.
In late April, during a visit to Azerbaijan, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared for another round of peace talks with Russia in a trilateral format hosted on Azerbaijani territory.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas argued that Russia is not currently in a strong enough position in the war and should be pushed toward negotiations, adding that China could play a role in encouraging Moscow to come to the negotiating table.
Read also: “They Need to Do It”: Trump Responds to Zelenskyy’s Open Letter to Putin
