The Russia-Ukraine war is really a haunting, not captivating saga. The dismal loss of lives, the constant dismantling of public property, the tethering of public and private infrastructure and the wailing agony in which one finds the common people of Ukraine have all highlighted the plight of a country that we all are sensitive to but perhaps cannot save from the wrath of Russia. And while not even France and Germany, in a way the self-declared leaders of two principal and strong EU states, cannot save Ukraine either, it is believed Putin, the aggressor of this war is speaking to Macron.
Rather, let’s put it that way, the Russian leader is, at least, willing to speak to Macron. So how does this work. What exactly is the dynamic of the two leaders’ relationship whilst the war rages on over Ukraine leading to much despair and darkness.
What we know so far is that France’s diplomatic efforts to talk Russia out of the war have failed. What hasn’t stopped, however, is that the two leaders continue to speak through a diplomatic channel in midst of the Russian aggression over the hapless Ukraine.
As a matter of fact, since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (the most definitive and dramatic development of 2022 thus far), which happens to be the largest military invasion in Europe since the Second World War, the two leaders have spoken to one another on four separate occasions.
Additionally though, the two leaders spoke to each other on eleven occasions as of the last month.
So what does Macron have to say with regards to his communication with Putin?
The French President, according to self admission, said that he was trying to extract some mercy from Putin. Some of the key areas he tried to make himself heard about involved- a safe passage of release of those who wished to leave Ukraine, local cease-fires as well as the access to humanitarian aid.
Interestingly, the last phone conversation between the two leaders that lasted for no fewer than two hours, saw the duo talk about the matter of Ukrainian nuclear plants. Putin has maintained that he doesn’t intend to attack them. The Russian maintained that he wishes to have a dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Russia and Ukraine.
What’s important is that on his part, Macron hasn’t been siding with Putin at all, maintaining in no uncertain terms that if there is a single individual who is to be blamed for the death and destruction in Europe then it is Putin. But having said that, if Putin wants to talk, then Macron will listen.
All of that said, here’s what a report on OpIndia had to say on the rather burning topic of today:
We must prevent the worst from happening.” Since he was elected president in 2017, Macron has shown a keen interest in forging personal relationships with world leaders, including those who value a degree of pragmatism when discussing democracy and human rights while pursing business opportunities. His business-friendly diplomacy paid off in the Persian Gulf in December when he signed a multi-billion euro weapons contract with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayhan.
That told, the key burning issue is, as of now, Macron is the only EU leader who is regularly trying to pull Putin close to his corner. There aren’t many who seem to be excelling in deploying diplomatic channels to keep Putin under a check barring Macron. Surely, whosoever said that diplomacy doesn’t work always amid rabid aggression didn’t miss the plot.