PARIS: With relations between the West and Russia at historic lows, French President Emmanuel Macron travels to St Petersburg on Thursday to seek not unusual floor with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The talks between the 2 come at a crucial time for their courting which has been marked via every so often harsh exchanges but in addition an awareness they wish to paintings together on crises spanning Syria, Iran to Ukraine.
Having bet on turning US President Donald Trump into a friend with appeal and flattery, 40-year-old Macron has taken a unique manner with Putin since emerging as the wonder winner of France's elections remaining May.
At their first assembly within the majesty of the Versailles Palace outside Paris, Macron slammed Russian state media publicly for spreading "lying propaganda" during the French election marketing campaign.
"I do believe that we should never be weak with President Putin. When you are weak, he uses it," Macron informed an interviewer from the Fox News channel ahead of his trip to Washington remaining month.
During his three-day US excursion, Macron had sought to steer Trump to admire the 2015 international deal that places curbs on Iran's nuclear programme -- to no avail.
This issue is now noticed via some analysts and diplomats as an area where France and its European companions Germany and Britain can to find not unusual floor with the Kremlin and -- in all probability -- a method to fortify badly strained ties.
Both the EU and Moscow, signatories of the Iran deal at the side of China and the USA, want to deal with the accord and concern a go back of destabilising, unilateralist US policies within the Middle East.
"It creates a new basis for cooperation between Russia and Europe, without ignoring the differences that still exist," a Russian diplomat informed AFP on situation of anonymity.
Those differences remain huge and unresolved on a host of problems, together with the war in Ukraine, where Russia backs separatists within the east of the country, as well as the use of chemical guns.
France joined Western nations in expelling Russian diplomats after the tried homicide of a former Russian secret agent within the British city of Salisbury on March four, allegedly with a secret chemical weapon manufactured in Russia.
Macron has additionally been important of Putin's shielding of Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad at the UN Security Council, where Russia has thwarted attempts to apportion blame for chemical attacks blamed on Assad's regime.
Macron is seeking "a serious dialogue... to try to find common ground," an aide informed journalists remaining week.
"We are doing it with our eyes open... aware of the difficulties," added the reputable, who spoke on situation of anonymity.
France has taken the lead in Europe in trying to find a political agreement to the devastating Syrian civil war and the problem is prone to determine prominently, at the side of Iran, within the talks in St Petersburg.
Accompanied via his wife Brigitte, Macron is set to fulfill Putin on Thursday at the Constantine Palace outside St. Petersburg, a former royal summer time retreat whose magnificent gardens open out onto the Baltic Sea.
On Friday, the French couple will pay homage to the victims of the brutal German 1941-44 siege of St. Petersburg, then known as Leningrad -- one thing very private for Putin whose parents suffered within the combat.
Later within the day, Macron is set to be guest of honour at the side of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual amassing of the country's political and business elite.
The private courting between Putin and Macron will face scrutiny throughout in handiest their 3rd face-to-face assembly and the primary since Putin won re-election in March.
Macron pointedly never congratulated his Russian counterpart for his fourth term as president -- after an election marred via "violations and shortcomings" within the view of the European Union.
"I think that Macron and Putin could get on very well," Russia's former ambassador in France Alexandre Orlov, who took part within the first assembly in France remaining yr, informed AFP. "They are both very cultured and love history.
"It would be completely normal if Macron develops a greater courting with Putin than with Trump, who are two completely different characters.
"Trump is an uncultured man, violent and brutal," Orlov added.
Michel Eltchaninoff, a French thinker and Russian specialist who wrote a ebook referred to as "Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin", additionally sees both males as sharing a equivalent outlook on their role.
"They have similarities in their desire to change the nature of voters' relationship to politicians and they position themselves in the long history of their countries," he informed AFP.
But he stated Macron's smearing within the Russian state media during his election marketing campaign, and suspicions about Kremlin interference in Western democracies, had left a legacy of distrust.
The talks between the 2 come at a crucial time for their courting which has been marked via every so often harsh exchanges but in addition an awareness they wish to paintings together on crises spanning Syria, Iran to Ukraine.
Having bet on turning US President Donald Trump into a friend with appeal and flattery, 40-year-old Macron has taken a unique manner with Putin since emerging as the wonder winner of France's elections remaining May.
At their first assembly within the majesty of the Versailles Palace outside Paris, Macron slammed Russian state media publicly for spreading "lying propaganda" during the French election marketing campaign.
"I do believe that we should never be weak with President Putin. When you are weak, he uses it," Macron informed an interviewer from the Fox News channel ahead of his trip to Washington remaining month.
During his three-day US excursion, Macron had sought to steer Trump to admire the 2015 international deal that places curbs on Iran's nuclear programme -- to no avail.
This issue is now noticed via some analysts and diplomats as an area where France and its European companions Germany and Britain can to find not unusual floor with the Kremlin and -- in all probability -- a method to fortify badly strained ties.
Both the EU and Moscow, signatories of the Iran deal at the side of China and the USA, want to deal with the accord and concern a go back of destabilising, unilateralist US policies within the Middle East.
"It creates a new basis for cooperation between Russia and Europe, without ignoring the differences that still exist," a Russian diplomat informed AFP on situation of anonymity.
Those differences remain huge and unresolved on a host of problems, together with the war in Ukraine, where Russia backs separatists within the east of the country, as well as the use of chemical guns.
France joined Western nations in expelling Russian diplomats after the tried homicide of a former Russian secret agent within the British city of Salisbury on March four, allegedly with a secret chemical weapon manufactured in Russia.
Macron has additionally been important of Putin's shielding of Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad at the UN Security Council, where Russia has thwarted attempts to apportion blame for chemical attacks blamed on Assad's regime.
Macron is seeking "a serious dialogue... to try to find common ground," an aide informed journalists remaining week.
"We are doing it with our eyes open... aware of the difficulties," added the reputable, who spoke on situation of anonymity.
France has taken the lead in Europe in trying to find a political agreement to the devastating Syrian civil war and the problem is prone to determine prominently, at the side of Iran, within the talks in St Petersburg.
Accompanied via his wife Brigitte, Macron is set to fulfill Putin on Thursday at the Constantine Palace outside St. Petersburg, a former royal summer time retreat whose magnificent gardens open out onto the Baltic Sea.
On Friday, the French couple will pay homage to the victims of the brutal German 1941-44 siege of St. Petersburg, then known as Leningrad -- one thing very private for Putin whose parents suffered within the combat.
Later within the day, Macron is set to be guest of honour at the side of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual amassing of the country's political and business elite.
The private courting between Putin and Macron will face scrutiny throughout in handiest their 3rd face-to-face assembly and the primary since Putin won re-election in March.
Macron pointedly never congratulated his Russian counterpart for his fourth term as president -- after an election marred via "violations and shortcomings" within the view of the European Union.
"I think that Macron and Putin could get on very well," Russia's former ambassador in France Alexandre Orlov, who took part within the first assembly in France remaining yr, informed AFP. "They are both very cultured and love history.
"It would be completely normal if Macron develops a greater courting with Putin than with Trump, who are two completely different characters.
"Trump is an uncultured man, violent and brutal," Orlov added.
Michel Eltchaninoff, a French thinker and Russian specialist who wrote a ebook referred to as "Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin", additionally sees both males as sharing a equivalent outlook on their role.
"They have similarities in their desire to change the nature of voters' relationship to politicians and they position themselves in the long history of their countries," he informed AFP.
But he stated Macron's smearing within the Russian state media during his election marketing campaign, and suspicions about Kremlin interference in Western democracies, had left a legacy of distrust.
Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin: 'Frenemies' reunited
![Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin: 'Frenemies' reunited]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
May 23, 2018
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