Macron urged to define "red lines" in relations with Russia

The international community must define clear "red lines" in relations with Russia, and in case of any "unacceptable behavior" of Moscow, impose sanctions against it. This was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on CBS.

In an interview with Face the Nation, Macron said he "completely shares" US President Joe Biden's desire to start a dialogue with Russia. “I believe that sanctions are not enough on their own, but they are part of a package. I prefer a constructive dialogue, but this requires authority,” he said.

Now, according to the French president, the international community is taking a “naive approach,” which gave the Russian side the resolve “to invade Ukraine a few years ago.” “This is not a failure of diplomacy, this is a failure of our collective authority in relation to Russia,” Macron said.

On the evening of April 17, the Elysee Palace reported that Macron intended to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future. This was announced following a conversation between the French leader and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The leaders discussed "the difficulty of reaching an agreement on the conflict in Donbass and the risks of military escalation."