Five minutes to understand why relations are warming between Macron and Putin

Their last conversation had lasted more than two hours. On July 1, Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin noted their differences over the war in Ukraine. The two men could soon speak again. This Friday, December 19, Emmanuel Macron pleaded to resume contact with his Russian counterpart.

“I see that there are people who talk to Vladimir Putin, so I think that we, Europeans and Ukrainians, have an interest in finding the framework to re-engage in this discussion in due form,” he said from Brussels, following a European Council. An outstretched hand which seems to have been seized by Moscow: Vladimir Putin is “ready to engage in dialogue with Macron”, indicated Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov.

Why does Emmanuel Macron “renew the thread” of dialogue?

The French president “has always wanted to keep the relational thread with Putin (…) it has never been broken,” former diplomat Alexandre Melnik told Le Parisien. “Emmanuel Macron is convinced that the personal factor can change the geopolitical situation. Which is an error,” judges the specialist, affirming that, “like many French people,” the President of the Republic is “fascinated” by Russia.

For Alexandre Melnik, the tenant of the Élysée is “pushed by a combination of circumstances to renew the thread of conversations with Putin: Trump has sided with Russia and on the front, the situation is not favorable to the Ukrainians”. Especially since behind the scenes, the Europeans seem to be on the fringes of the talks choreographed by the Americans. “We discuss among ourselves with negotiators who will discuss alone with the Russians, which is not optimal,” summarized Emmanuel Macron on Friday.

From “pro-Russian turn” to “vulgar insults”

His relationship with his Russian counterpart has evolved several times since his election to the Élysée in May 2017. That month, Vladimir Putin was received with great fanfare at Versailles, before being welcomed at Fort Brégançon in the summer of 2019, illustrating the beginnings of a “pro-Russian turn” in French diplomacy. The head of the Kremlin was – at the time – considered more reliable than the unpredictable Donald Trump.

This strategy is not bearing fruit: at the beginning of 2022, Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. Emmanuel Macron tries to avoid it, even going to Moscow to dialogue with Vladimir Putin. Without success. At the outbreak of the conflict, France provided support to kyiv. Emmanuel Macron poses as mediator. He continues telephone conversations with the head of the Kremlin and calls on his allies to “not humiliate” Moscow.

Over the months, the presidential posture evolves: sending ground troops is no longer “excluded” and Russia is described as an “existential threat”. And in mid-August 2025, Emmanuel Macron affirms that his Russian counterpart is a “predator, an ogre at our doors”. “Vulgar insults” going beyond the “limits of decency”, denounces Moscow.

What purpose will a new discussion serve?

Despite these precedents, the two presidents should therefore speak again soon. “It’s imperative. But to say what? » asks Alexandre Melnik. “Putin is inflexible and has not budged one iota. This conversation is not going to lead to anything,” he predicts, referring to a gesture that is above all “diplomatic” and symbolic.

“As soon as the prospect of a ceasefire and a peace negotiation becomes clearer, it becomes useful to speak to Putin again,” justifies the Élysée for its part. “Our objective will remain to contribute to a solid and lasting peace for Ukraine and Europe, in complete transparency with President Zelensky and our European partners,” said the president’s entourage.

A Macron-Putin exchange could also make it possible to address other subjects, such as the situation of Laurent Vinatier, this Frenchman detained in Moscow.

One thing, however, seems certain: the future discussion between the two presidents will not put Franco-Russian relations back on track, judges Alexandre Melnik. Changes may take place “in form, but in substance, Putin will not change as long as he is in power,” assures the former diplomat.