According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron is wasting his time by even considering having a conversation with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy was replying to Macron’s remark that Russia should be “defeated but not crushed” and that the situation in Ukraine would have to be resolved through diplomacy when he was interviewed by the Italian daily paper Corriere della Sera.
Zelenskyy and Macron had a phone conversation on Sunday, February 19.
Zelenskyy told the Italian daily, “It will be a useless dialogue. In fact Macron is wasting his time. I have come to the conclusion that we are not able to change the Russian attitude.
“If they have decided to isolate themselves in the dream of rebuilding the old Soviet empire, we cannot do anything about it. It is up to them to choose or not to cooperate with the community of nations on the basis of mutual respect.”
He dismissed the idea that President Vladimir Putin of Russia had been isolated as a result of Western sanctions.
“It was instead the decision to launch the war that marginalised Putin,” he was quoted as saying.
Macron encouraged allies to increase military support for Ukraine on Friday.
In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, he added that there was no other option besides bringing Putin back to the negotiating table and that he did not support regime change. He also said that there was little chance of a democratic solution coming from Russian civil society.
Some NATO partners have criticized Macron for sending contradictory signals about his stance on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy didn’t mention Macron’s most recent comments when recalling their Sunday talk. The leaders talked about tactics, particularly the collaborative choices Zelensyy said were necessary before this week’s commemoration of Russia’s invasion.