Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron was wasting his time on any dialogues with Russia.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Sunday, Zelenskiy responded to Macron’s suggestion that Russia should be “defeated but not crushed” and that the conflict in Ukraine should be resolved through negotiations.

The two presidents already spoke by phone on Sunday. Zelenskiy later told an Italian newspaper:
“It will be a useless dialogue. In fact, Mr Macron is wasting his time. I came to the conclusion that we cannot change Russia’s position.”

On Friday, the French president urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine.

He also told the Journal du Dimanche that he does not believe in regime change in Moscow, that there is little chance of a democratic solution through Russian civil society, and that there is no alternative to bringing Vladimir Putin back to the negotiating table.

Mr Macron has criticized some NATO allies for controversial statements about his policies in the war between Ukraine and Russia.

Describing their conversation on Sunday, Zelenskiy did not mention Macron’s latest comments. The two leaders discussed strategies, including joint solutions, ahead of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion this week, Zelenskiy said.

Ahead of a brief visit to Paris this month, Zelenskiy said the French president’s tougher stance on Russia in recent months showed he had undergone significant change.

The presidents of France and Ukraine even traveled together from Paris to Brussels for the European Union summit.

Source: Reuters.