French President Macron Says Dialogue with Russia Must Continue

"We are doing the right thing by leaving the doors open for negotiations with Russia," Macron said in an interview with La Tribune daily. "Otherwise, we would have given up on the international order as well as peace and security," he added, TASS reported.

However, Macron said at the same time that it was necessary to carry on with the "strategic ambiguity" policy regarding Russia.

In late April, Macron said speaking at Sorbonne University in Paris that Europe should be prepared to build relations with Russia after the Ukraine conflict is over.

Macron also said that technical capabilities and the striking range of Russian ballistic missiles endangered European countries.

“If speaking about Ukraine, the safety of Europeans is at stake because this country is located some 1,500 kilometers (over 932 miles) from our borders,” Macron noted. “If Russia wins, then it will take only a second to have no security for Romania, Poland, Lithuania or our country.”

“The power and the striking range of Russian ballistic missiles endanger all of us,” the French president added.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated earlier that Russia posed no threat to anyone in Europe and hoped for a similar attitude to itself.