French President Emmanuel Macron said that technical-level preparations are ongoing for planned talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Commenting on the possibility of a meeting with Putin, Macron stated, “Technical-level discussions are continuing in order to prepare for this (contact).”
The French president added that the preparations are being carried out transparently and in consultation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European partners.
Macron had said in early January that he could meet with Putin in the near future. In December, the French president stated that Europe needs to find a way to resume dialogue with the Russian leader as soon as possible.
Following these remarks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin is ready to meet with Macron, but added that any potential dialogue should focus on mutual understanding rather than lecturing one another.