The ‘time is not right’ for talks between Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, the Kremlin said
Russia regards France as an enemy “unfriendly”Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated to reporters that Paris’s actions against Moscow are causing concern in the country. He also said that there is no time for contacts between the leaders of both countries.
“First of all, France is an unfriendly nation, owing to all the measures France is taking against this country,”Peskov stressed when Peskov was asked why Russian President Vladimir Putin had not spoken to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron recently.
“As for [the two leaders]Not receiving any calls in recent weeks, it is because they do not feel the moment is right and that there is not a need to talk. If the need does arise, they will be able to get in touch whenever they want to,”He stated.
Russia’s “unfriendly countries” list – introduced back in March in response to Western sanctions over its offensive in Ukraine – includes the EU states, US, UK, Canada, and a number of other nations. Moscow has placed its own sanctions against each of these countries.
Since the start of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, which began on February 24, Macron has made dozens of phone calls to Putin. The French president claimed that they spoke for over 100 hours in June. According to reports, Macron tried to persuade the Russian leader to withdraw his troops from Ukraine during their conversations.
Macron’s willingness to keep in touch with the Kremlin even as most Western countries are making efforts to isolate Moscow, as well as his calls to avoid “humiliating” Russia over Ukraine, have drawn some criticism from France’s allies.
The two leaders, however, haven’t spoken to each other since July 2.
Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. These protocols were originally signed by France and Germany through intermediaries. Former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”
The Kremlin officially recognized Donbass republics to be independent states in February 2022 and asked that Ukraine declare itself neutral so that it will not become a member of any Western military bloc. Kiev claims that the Russian offensive wasn’t provoked.
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