Emmanuel Macron's European tour continues.
After meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev to try to defuse the Ukrainian crisis, the President of the Republic met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday in Berlin.
“We must together find the ways and means to engage in a demanding dialogue with Russia,” declared the French president during a press conference.
"The re-engagement of this dialogue is the only path that will make peace in Ukraine possible," he said.
While he had affirmed that "the last days have made it possible to bring out new avenues" with a view to a peaceful exit from the crisis, Emmanuel Macron repeated his objective, "to avoid war".
The Head of State also pointed to other objectives, such as "consolidating and defending the unity of Europeans and allies at all times" or even "defending the principles that made our Europe".
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The French president assured that he had obtained "a double commitment" from Ukraine and Russia to respect these Minsk peace agreements, saying that he believed in "concrete practical solutions" to lead to a de-escalation.
“We must not underestimate the tension we are experiencing (…) we cannot resolve this crisis in a few hours of discussions”, he however warned.
While waiting for a possible diplomatic solution, he assured that he had obtained promises from Vladimir Putin during their meeting on Monday evening: he “told me that he would not be at the origin of the escalation”.
The unity of France with Germany and Poland
While the Polish president considered that it was possible “to avoid war”, the German chancellor reminded him of the unity of Germany, France and Poland, three “united” countries.
Peacekeeping must take place "through diplomacy and through clear messages, as well as the common will to act together", he said.
This working dinner in Berlin was the last stop on Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic tour.
The French head of state is the first high-profile Western leader to meet Vladimir Putin since tensions escalated in December.
Olaf Scholz will also travel to Kyiv and Moscow next week.