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Putin Adviser Told Macron Envoys to “Go to Hell” Over Europe’s Seat at Ukraine Peace Talks
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russia’s presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov reportedly responded with an expletive when French officials raised the possibility of European participation in negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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According to Financial Times on March 15, two senior advisers to French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Moscow in February to discuss the potential inclusion of European allies in a future negotiation framework related to the war.
The delegation included Emmanuel Bonne, Macron’s diplomatic adviser, and Bertrand Buchwalter, a senior French official.
During their meeting with Ushakov—an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin responsible for foreign policy—French representatives argued that European states should have a seat at the negotiating table because the war directly affects European security.
A senior European diplomat cited by Financial Times said Ushakov’s response was blunt.
“Sorry, but actually no—we don’t have it, go to hell,” the diplomat quoted Ushakov as saying.
The report indicates that the Kremlin rejected the proposal outright and showed no willingness to expand negotiations to include European countries.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov offered a different characterization of the exchange in comments to Financial Times. He argued that European governments are not currently contributing to efforts aimed at ending the war.
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“When the representative from France arrived, he did not bring any positive signals. So he heard nothing positive in response,” Peskov said. “Unfortunately, Europeans are spending all their efforts trying to convince Ukrainians to continue the war. We are convinced Europeans are making a mistake from the perspective of their own future.”
According to Financial Times, the meeting took place as European governments attempted to ensure that any diplomatic process concerning Russia’s war against Ukraine would include EU states that have provided political, military, and economic support to Kyiv since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
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Preparations for the next round of negotiations on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine have been complicated by disagreements over the location of the meeting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the talks were postponed at the request of the United States due to the escalating situation in the Middle East.
Washington has indicated it prefers to host the meeting on US territory, while Russia has proposed holding the talks in neutral venues such as Turkey or Switzerland. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to participate regardless of the location, including the US, Turkey, Switzerland, or the United Arab Emirates.
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