Moscow: French President Emmanuel Macron flew to Moscow on Monday in a risky diplomatic move seeking commitments from Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine, where Western leaders fear a Kremlin invasion could take place. making plans.
Macron has had a series of phone calls over the past week with Western allies, Putin, and the leader of Ukraine. He will follow up with a visit to Kiev on Tuesday, putting a lot of political capital on a mission that could prove embarrassing if he returns empty-handed.
A source close to Macron told Reuters: “We’re going to Putin’s lair, in many ways it’s a dice-throwing.”
Russia has amassed about 100,000 troops near Ukraine and demanded NATO and US security guarantees, of which NATO never accepts Ukraine as a member.
Two sources close to Macron said one of the objectives of his visit was to buy time and stabilize the situation for several months, at least until the “super April” of elections in Europe – in Hungary, Slovenia and, critically for Macron, in France. in a way.
The French leader, who has earned a reputation for highly publicized diplomatic efforts since taking power in 2017, has spent the past five years both trying to appease Putin and confront him. His efforts have brought painful setbacks along with closer dialogue with the Russian leader.
Soon after his election, Macron rolled out the red carpet for Putin at the Palace of Versailles, but also used the visit to publicly block Russian interference during the election. Two years later, the pair met at the summer residence of the French president.
But many of Macron’s proposals have not stopped Russian encroachment into traditional French spheres of influence in Africa, culminating with the arrival of Russian mercenaries in Mali late last year. French officials feel they have the support of the Kremlin.
Eastern European countries that have suffered for decades under Soviet rule have criticized Macron’s cooperative stance on Russia, condemning Macron’s talk of negotiating a “new European security order” with Russia.
Macron is at pains to consult with other Western leaders, this time including Britain’s Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden, to counter critics and take charge of the European leadership in this crisis ahead of the trip.
The French president’s visit to Moscow and Ukraine comes less than three months before the presidential election. His political advisers see a potential electoral dividend, although Macron has yet to announce whether he will run.
“For the president, this is an opportunity to show his leadership in Europe. He is above the ground,” said a French government source.
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