Reacting to Yannick Jadot's criticisms, government spokesman Gabriel Attal refuted on Friday March 25 any kind of "
naivety
" or "
complacency
" by Emmanuel Macron towards Vladimir Poutine, assuring that the president "
has always said things straight in eyes
" to the Russian President.
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“
Then Russia is not going to move, it is a neighbour, it will remain a neighbour, there will be a relationship with Russia anyway.
And so we must continue to dialogue, but by saying things to each other
, ”said Gabriel Attal on France Info.
The government spokesperson and supporter of candidate Emmanuel Macron was invited to react to statements Thursday by environmentalist presidential candidate Yannick Jadot, according to which "
there can be neither naivety, nor arrogance, nor complacency in relations with the Russia
”.
"
We don't have to shake his hand (to Vladimir Poutine, editor's note) and especially not as Emmanuel Macron does to use familiar terms
," Yannick Jadot estimated on France Info.
An open discussion channel
"
The President of the Republic continues to exchange views with Vladimir Putin, first at the request of President Zelensky
," said Gabriel Attal, stressing that the Ukrainian President "
regularly asks the President of the Republic to call Vladimir Putin to the intermediary between the two and pass on a certain number of messages
".
Then, in the event that Russia ends up "
reviewing its calculations and its plans
", "
there must be a channel for discussion which is open so that we can sit around the table and discuss
".
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Finally, the spokesperson argued, "
the exchange with Vladimir Putin allows, we hope, (...) to have some progress
".
He cited “
the safety and security of nuclear facilities
”.
Asked about the "
red line
" that the use of chemical weapons by the Russian president in Ukraine would constitute for US President Joe Biden, Gabriel Attal estimated that "
to say today that a next step would constitute a red line, that means hollow, or it can mean hollow, that we consider that what is happening today is acceptable
".
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