French Pres. Macron Continues A Dialogue With Vladimir Putin

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Your President, President Macron, has been speaking to President Putin just yesterday, I think, was the latest. What is Putin saying? What does your President — what do you believe is Putin’s aim right now? What are his demands right now?

JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I do not know what is the goal of President Putin. What I am aware of is that President Macron want to speak to President Putin on a regular basis with some sort of an obstination (ph) to, first of all, to end and lead Putin to a ceasefire (INAUDIBLE). But from the beginning of these talks, President Putin did not make a move or nothing visible, including during the negotiation phases. And in Istanbul on the occasion of, you know, these negotiations, there was nothing new. No breakthrough on what has been discussed. It is — it was three weeks already in Belarus, in (INAUDIBLE), or in (INAUDIBLE) exactly, the issues are still the same. And on the merits, well, it doesn’t seem that President Putin has changed in any way, shape or form. He still wishes to impose his (INAUDIBLE) on Ukraine. And what is new in the talks in Istanbul is that it’s been made public. On the other hand, on a much note that President Zelenskyy has made some openings, in particular, regarding neutrality of Ukraine. But in (INAUDIBLE) he also wants some security guarantees to be given to his country. And at the moment there is nothing like that in the discussion. So, yes, there are ongoing talks, that’s a good thing. There is no breakthrough. And fortunately, the priority for us is a ceasefire. And the utmost priority is on the listing of the siege of Mariupol.