Macron Says France, US Should Prepare Conditions For Russia-Ukraine Dialogue

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that Paris and Washington should make preparations to facilitate the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine when both countries return to the negotiating table

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2022) French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that Paris and Washington should make preparations to facilitate the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine when both countries return to the negotiating table.

Macron paid an official visit to the US from November 29 to December 2. He met with US President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, the economy, trade, energy and space cooperation.

"The United States and France have the same vision on Ukraine: to further help it, do everything to put pressure on Russia so that it returns to the negotiating table," Macron told the French broadcaster TF1, adding that the US and France "must prepare the dialogue for the day when the parties return to the negotiating table."

The French president said Paris and Washington would continue to provide military support to Kiev and protect nuclear plants in Ukraine, while also trying to avoid further escalation of the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused earlier this year to negotiate with Russia as long as President Vladimir Putin remains in office, but changed his stance later and laid out conditions for starting a dialogue in a video statement released on November 8. This took place shortly after reports emerged in US media that the Biden Administration was privately encouraging Kiev to demonstrate its readiness to negotiate with Moscow.

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has always been and continues to remain open to negotiations on Ukraine, as evident from his attempts to initiate dialogue with the US, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe even before the start of hostilities.