French President Emmanuel Macron said today that the EU should strive for better relations with Russia in the long term, and assessed that the sanctions have not changed Russian behavior at all, but he does not propose their abolition.
At a security conference in Munich, Macron said that a "credible" approach to relations with Russia would be to take the position that the EU "demands, does not deviate from the principle of frozen conflicts, but will agree to a strategic dialogue - which will take time." .
Relations between the EU and Moscow have been strained since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and war broke out in eastern Ukraine.
Because of Ukraine, the USA and the EU imposed sanctions on Russia.
French companies that trade with Russia are putting pressure on Macron to help improve EU-Russia relations and ease sanctions.
During a recent visit to Poland, Macron said that "it is a big mistake to distance yourself from a part of Europe that has an unpleasant feeling."
He said today that the result of previous years was a "completely ineffective system".
"These are also sanctions that have changed absolutely nothing in Russia. I'm not suggesting that we abolish them, I'm just stating the facts," said the French leader.
Advocating for more dialogue with Russia, Macron pointed to last year's renewal of the summit of the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine in order to stop the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
"We must connect with Russia in the long term, but also emphasize its role as a permanent member of the Security Council. It cannot be a member that blocks everything all the time," Macron said, adding that he expects that Russia will continue to try to destabilize the elections. in other countries.
"I don't believe in miracles. I believe in politics and the fact that the human will can change things when we give ourselves the means to do so," Macron said.
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