Macron says he is ready to represent Europe in talks with Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron said in Dublin that he would “always be at the service” of Europeans if asked to represent Europe in talks with Russia, but the EU must first develop a common position on Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he could represent Europe in talks with Russia. Responding to journalists’ questions in Dublin on Thursday about whether he was ready to take on the role, Macron said he would “always be at the service” of Europeans on these matters.

He arrived in the Irish capital for the ninth summit of the European Political Community. Macron said that before choosing a negotiator, Europe must develop a “clear and united vision of what it wants for Ukraine and for itself.” “The content determines the format. We Europeans must take back the initiative in dialogue with Russia, and then the format will be determined,” the French leader said.

Участники IX саммита Европейского политического сообщества в Дублине

Merz: the key is for Russia to come to the table

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not rush to appoint an EU representative. “What matters is that Russia comes to the negotiating table and is ready for discussions. Everything else will follow,” he said, noting that Europeans are already represented in the E3 format, comprising France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and in the E5, which also includes Poland and Italy.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged Europe to appoint a single representative, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed last week that EU leaders decide who would conduct negotiations on behalf of the bloc and with what mandate. This week, Europeans took part only in behind-the-scenes meetings in Abu Dhabi, where negotiations were held with U.S. mediation.

The Kremlin said the same day that it was time for Europe to decide whether it wanted peace or war, calling the deployment of “coalition of the willing” contingents in Ukraine a recipe for endless war.

Photo: AP, European Commission

Macron says he is ready to represent Europe in talks with Russia