France's President Emmanuel Macron, in eastern France, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AP
French President Emmanuel Macron said, on Tuesday, February 3, that he was preparing to resume dialogue with Vladimir Putin, nearly four years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but stressed that Moscow was not showing any "real willingness" to negotiate a ceasefire.
Last year, Macron said he believed Europe should reach back out to Putin, rather than leaving the United States to take the lead alone in negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, which started with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
"It is being prepared and so discussions are taking place at a technical level," Macron said Tuesday, in response to a question during a visit to northeastern France. Macron did not give a specific timeframe. "I think it would be useful, but I don't think Russia is currently willing to conclude a peace agreement in the coming days or weeks."
He said France continued to support Ukraine, but contact with the Kremlin was needed to negotiate security guarantees after the war. "In this context, it is important that Europeans restore their own channels of discussion," he said.
