German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have repeatedly stressed their willingness to keep channels open with Russian President Vladimir Putin in search of a path forward regarding the Ukraine crisis. Yet observers note that there has been little concrete initiative from either leader in recent days. This assessment came from Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, in a recent interview with the newspaper News. Peskov underscored that President Putin remains open to any contact that could help Russia advance its objectives, one way or another, signaling a cautious openness to diplomacy even amid ongoing tension in the region.
Peskov highlighted the perception that Scholz and Macron have made statements about maintaining dialogue with Putin, but he argued that actions have not matched those assurances. He described a pattern of rhetoric without corresponding steps, suggesting that repeated declarations to engage with Moscow have not translated into real, time-bound efforts to establish a date for a potential meeting or to advance concrete proposals for mediation.
According to the spokesperson, Macron has made five or six references to the possibility of a phone call with Putin, yet there has been no formal request, directive, or scheduling of possible dates for such a conversation. This point was presented to illustrate what Peskov sees as a gap between public talk about diplomacy and the practical measures required to move talks forward on the ground in Ukraine.
Peskov also warned that the space for mediation could shrink if external actors appear to be directly participating in the conflict or signal an intention to intensify their involvement on the Ukrainian side. In his view, any external escalation would complicate diplomatic efforts and undermine prospects for dialogue during a sensitive phase of the crisis.
In a separate exchange, Anne-Claire Legendre, the spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed that Emmanuel Macron has reached out to Putin at the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The statement indicated that the French president’s outreach is framed within a broader effort to explore diplomatic channels as part of a sustained, multi-laceted approach to the conflict. The exchange reflects ongoing attempts by Paris to balance alliances with partners in Europe while seeking lines of communication that could help de-escalate the situation and possibly foster talks among the involved parties, including Kyiv and Moscow. At the same time, the narrative underscores that Paris continues to position dialogue at the center of its diplomatic strategy, even as it navigates complex regional realities and the varying stances of its international partners. The broader implication is that diplomatic engagement remains on the table, even as actions on the ground remain contested and the path to peace remains uncertain, with all sides weighing the costs and benefits of renewed negotiations. — notes attributed to official briefings and public statements from French and Russian spokespeople.