France Urges EU to Reopen Talks with Russia

(MENAFN) The European Union must establish its own direct communication line with Russia, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has declared. For four years, the bloc has maintained a communication blackout with Moscow since the Ukraine conflict intensified.

These comments reflect mounting anxiety within EU capitals that their geopolitical clout is eroding as US President Donald Trump has spent recent months pursuing bilateral negotiations with both Kiev and Moscow to end the Ukraine war. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have pushed for the EU to designate a special representative to Russia, ensuring the bloc secures its place in any settlement discussions.

Speaking to Liberation in an interview released Sunday, Barrot emphasized that France had "never ruled out, in principle, engaging with Russia," as long as such engagement remains transparent with Ukraine and the EU and proves "beneficial."

"The Europeans, who are now Ukraine's main financial and military backers, must have a channel to assert their interests, without delegating responsibility to anyone else," he stated.

Last December, Macron advocated for Europe to resume dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a mechanism to advance Ukraine conflict resolution, cautioning that failing to do so could sideline European interests entirely. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov signaled Putin's willingness to engage with Macron if "mutual political will" existed. Any prospective exchange must avoid one party using it "to read lectures" to the other and should pursue concrete objectives, he added.

The last phone conversation between the Russian and French leaders occurred in July—their first direct exchange since early 2022, when the Ukraine conflict escalated dramatically.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, however, has categorically rejected direct engagement with Moscow, asserting last month that the bloc has nothing to "offer" Russia and will instead pursue "more pressure" rather than negotiations. She rejected reviving diplomatic channels, contending that US concessions to Ukraine already carry substantial weight and the EU lacks bargaining power to draw Moscow to the table.

Conversely, Russian officials have consistently stated their readiness for sincere negotiations, contingent upon Western recognition of Russia's security imperatives and abandonment of efforts to achieve a strategic defeat through Ukraine.

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