France’s Macron flies to Moscow in high-risk diplomatic mission

By Michel Rose

MOSCOW (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron flies to Moscow on Monday in a dangerous diplomatic transfer, looking for commitments from Russian President Vladimir Putin to dial down tensions with Ukraine, the place Western leaders worry the Kremlin plans an invasion.

Macron has made a frenetic collection of telephone calls with Western allies, Putin and the Ukrainian chief over the previous week. He’ll observe up on Tuesday with a go to to Kyiv, staking loads of political capital on a mission that would show embarrassing if he returns empty-handed.

“We’re heading to Putin’s lair, in some ways it’s a throw of the cube,” one supply near Macron instructed Reuters.

Russia has massed some 100,000 troops close to Ukraine and demanded NATO and U.S. safety ensures, together with that NATO by no means admit Ukraine as a member.

Two sources near Macron mentioned one goal of his go to was to purchase time and freeze the scenario for a number of months, a minimum of till a “Tremendous April” of elections in Europe – in Hungary, Slovenia and, crucially for Macron, in France.

The French chief, who has earned a fame for extremely publicised diplomatic forays since he took energy in 2017, has each tried to persuade and confront Putin over the previous 5 years. His efforts have introduced shut dialogue with the Russian chief in addition to painful setbacks.

Quickly after his election, Macron rolled out the pink carpet for Putin on the Palace of Versailles, but in addition used the go to to publicly decry Russian meddling in the course of the election. Two years later, the pair met on the French president’s summer time residence.

However Macron’s many overtures didn’t stop Russian encroachment into conventional French spheres of affect in Africa, culminating late final 12 months with the arrival of Russian mercenaries in Mali. French officers assume they’re supported by the Kremlin.

Japanese European nations who suffered many years beneath Soviet rule have criticized Macron’s cooperative stance on Russia, leery of Macron’s speak of negotiating a “new European safety order” with Russia.

To counter critics forward of the journey and tackle the mantle of European management on this disaster, Macron has been at pains to seek the advice of with different Western leaders this time, together with Britain’s Boris Johnson and U.S. President Joe Biden.

The French president’s go to to Moscow and Ukraine comes lower than three months earlier than a presidential election at dwelling. His political advisers see a possible electoral dividend, though Macron has but to announce whether or not he’ll run.

“For the president, it’s a possibility to point out his management in Europe. That he’s above the fray,” one French authorities supply mentioned.

(Reporting by Michel Rose; Modifying by David Gregorio)