Europe may return to dialogue with putin if current talks fail to lead to lasting peace - Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe will face the need to resume communication with russian dictator vladimir putin in cooperation with Ukraine if current talks fail to lead to lasting peace.

He told reporters in Brussels, Bloomberg reported.

Macron said, "either a lasting peace will be achieved" in the current talks, "or we will find ways for Europeans to resume dialogue with russia - in a transparent manner and in cooperation with Ukraine."

According to him, it will be useful to communicate with vladimir putin again.

"We, Europeans and Ukrainians, are interested in finding the right platform to resume this discussion properly. Otherwise, we will discuss among ourselves with negotiators who will then go and discuss with the russians on their own. This is not an ideal option," the French President said.

As a reminder, on December 19, the European Union approved financial support for Ukraine in the amount of EUR 90 billion. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the European Council and emphasized the special significance of the fact that russian assets remain frozen, and Ukraine has received a reliable financial security guarantee for the coming years.

Meanwhile, russian leader vladimir putin said that Moscow is ready to further expand control over Ukrainian territories in the event of refusal to negotiate an end to the war at the suggestion of the United States, and also allowed himself offensive statements against European politicians. In addition, putin abdicated responsibility for the hostilities in Ukraine, shifting the blame to Kyiv and its Western allies.

While the President of Ukraine said the day before that there was progress in negotiations with the United States. In particular, he called the frequency of communication on the peace plan and strong security guarantees progress. At the same time, he noted that unresolved issues remain, in particular territorial ones.