In the West, Macron was besieged after he spoke about a dialogue with Putin

French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced preparations for contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, missed the right moment for an equal dialogue. This was announced on February 3 by international security expert Mark Episkopos on the social network X.

"Although it's good, it's too late and it's already useless. The framework for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine is too strictly defined for Europe, so it will not be able to change them for itself," Episkopos said.

According to him, France could play a positive role if it discussed with Moscow the issues of anti-Russian sanctions and security guarantees for Kiev.

Power again: Russia supplied $15 billion worth of weapons despite Western pressure

Putin has convened a military-technical cooperation commission to discuss new export markets and plans for 2026.

Macron said earlier in the day that Paris was preparing for contacts with Putin at a technical level. According to him, discussions are underway "in consultation with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and key European partners."

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.