Emmanuel Macron said the need for constant contacts with Vladimir Putin

“I have always maintained regular discussions and direct dialogue with Vladimir Putin, because I believe that the best way to resume interaction is to maintain direct contact,” Macron said on CBS.

He stressed that in the current situation, the worst thing is isolation. As for the Ukrainian conflict, here the French leader called negotiations "the only way to resolve", and Macron "does not see" military options.

The French President specified that he was not holding unofficial talks with the Kremlin.

According to Macron, neither his country nor other Western states seek to "destroy Russia." France and Russia have "very close relations from a cultural and historical point of view", the French have "always respected the people of Russia".

Last week, Macron suggested thinking about a new security architecture in Europe, providing appropriate guarantees for Moscow. In his opinion, it is necessary to study this issue in advance, since the discussion of new principles and mechanisms can become part of the discussions about peace. He called for solutions to be prepared by the time the parties to the Ukrainian conflict are ready to sit down at the negotiating table.