Page 48 - BNE_magazine_10_2019 kolomoisky

48 I Eastern Europe bne October 2019
France calls for reset in relations with Russia
Ben Aris in Berlin
It’s official: France is actively working for a reset in relations with Russia. As bne IntelliNews said in “Russia’s frozen relations with Europe start
to thaw” the signs of a thaw have rapidly become apparent, but the foreign ministry’s comment elevates
a rapprochement with Russia to the level of official policy.
“The time has come, the time is right, to work towards reducing the distrust between Russia and Europe, who
ought to be partners on a strategic and economic level. Our divisions hurt our shared interests,” Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister said, adding it's too early to talk about lifting EU sanctions against Moscow imposed over Crimea.
www.bne.eu
France says that the next meeting between the four partners in the peace process could happen "within days."
The statement comes on the back of French President Emmanuel Macron's active diplomatic initiatives in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Macron was
victory in April’s presidential election. Macron then hosted president Vladimir Putin in France as part of apparent intensive negotiations that ended in the first prisoner swap in five years between Ukraine and Russia, despite the fact that Putin and Zelenskiy have yet to meet in person.
“The time has come, the time is right, to work towards reducing the distrust between Russia and Europe”
the first European leader to call and congratulate Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the night of his
Paris clearly hopes to build on the positive momentum at the next Normandy Four (Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France)