French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on Thursday the need to continue dialogue with Russia in order to achieve peace and end the ongoing war in Ukraine, saying that the diplomatic aspect should not be left to Turkey alone.
During a meeting with French ambassadors at the Elysee Palace, Macron said he had made several contacts with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, following the February 24 attack on Ukraine.
He urged the French president not to leave Turkey alone in dialogue with Russia, asking: Who wants Turkey to be the only global power that continues to talk to Russia?
He stressed the need "not to succumb to any form of false morals that would leave us powerless, as the job of a diplomat is to talk to everyone, especially with those who do not agree with us."
Europe divided
"We will continue to speak in coordination with our allies," Macron added, recalling that "the division of Europe" is "one of the objectives of Russia's war."
He stressed the need for world powers to be ready for a "negotiated peace", pointing out that the timing and conditions of this peace depend on Ukraine.
The last telephone conversation between the French president and his Russian counterpart dates back to August 19, when they discussed the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear plant and organized a visit by a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the facility.
It is noteworthy that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan played the role of mediator between Moscow and Kiev at the beginning of the war.
And last July, an agreement was reached in Istanbul between Moscow and Kiev, under the auspices of the United Nations, to export Ukrainian grain from ports on the Black Sea, and the shipment of grain is being coordinated through a center in Istanbul.