“Now listen to me carefully”
Cheating and wrestling in Macron’s Putin call
The picture released by the Russian state news agency Sputnik via AP shows Vladimir Putin (l), President of Russia, and Emmanuel Macron, President of France, during a meeting in the Kremlin. Photo: -/Pool Kremlin/Sputnik/AP/dpa
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The picture of Macron with Kremlin chief Putin at the long negotiating table filled front pages. A phone call that has now been published shows how Putin fended off Macron’s peace efforts before the war began.
French President Emmanuel Macron was criticized for his busy phone calls with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin given the horror of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
A conversation published by the Élysée Palace for a television documentary four days before the start of the war now shows Macron’s struggle for de-escalation and peace – and how Putin wipes it off the table, stalls his interlocutor and accuses Ukraine. Both presidents are annoyed. After all, Putin has to hang up in a hurry, his ice hockey training is about to start.
“Tensions have increased since we last spoke, and you know my commitment and determination to continue the dialogue,” Macon said. “I want you to first tell me how you see the situation, and perhaps in a fairly direct way, like we both do, tell me your intentions.” Putin immediately attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, who was lying, did not want to implement the Minsk Agreement and was even striving for nuclear weapons. Macron rejects Putin’s objection that he wants to revise the agreement. “I said you have to implement it.”
Scramble for Separatists
The wrangling then continues over the role of the Separatists. ‘Listen, Emmanuel, I don’t understand your problem with the Separatists. At least, at our insistence, they did everything necessary to open a constructive dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities,” Putin said. “It’s not the separatists who will make proposals for Ukrainian laws,” counters Macron. “I don’t know where your lawyer studied,” he adds. “And I don’t know what lawyer can tell you that in a sovereign country, the texts of the law are proposed by separatist groups and not by the democratically elected authorities.”
When Putin continues to insist on the separatists’ efforts, Macron becomes indignant. “Like I told you, we don’t care what the Separatists propose.” Rather, they would have to react to the Ukrainians. “Now listen to me carefully, do you hear me?” Putin now addresses the French President and insists that the ball is in Ukraine’s hands and that pressure must be built up on Ukraine. “But I did my utmost to move them, you know that well,” Macron replies. “I know that, but unfortunately it didn’t do anything,” says the Kremlin chief. Macron reassured him that he would remind Selenskyj to calm down again.
Summit meeting proposed
“Don’t get involved in any kind of provocation in the next few hours and days,” Macron continues. And then the French President invites the head of the Kremlin to a short-term meeting with US President Joe Biden – the actual goal of the call. Putin reacts politely. “Thank you, Emmanuel. It is always a great pleasure and an honor to speak to your European counterparts as well as to the United States.” Involving the Americans is a good idea, but such a meeting must first be prepared. “So you know, in principle I agree.”
Putin made it clear to Macron without hesitation that there are more important things than the French President and the exchange about war and peace. “Not to hide anything from you, I wanted to go play ice hockey now and I’ll speak to you from the gym before training starts. I’ll call my advisers first.” Macron thanks Putin. «We stay in direct contact. As soon as there is something, you call me.” Four days later, Russian troops invade Ukraine.