French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for continued dialogue with Russia, saying that “it is necessary to assume the possibility of continuing the conversation with everyone”, “especially with those with whom we do not agree”, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

“Who needs Turkey to be the only power in the world that keeps talking to Russia?” Macron told French ambassadors gathered at the Elysee Palace, referring to the NATO member.

“We must not succumb to any form of false morality that would make us powerless,” the French president continued, reiterating that “the profession of a diplomat means talking to everyone, but especially to those with whom we disagree.”

“That’s why we will continue to do it,” “in cooperation with our allies,” the leader also said from the Elysee Palace, adding that “the division of Europe” was “one of the goals of the war started by Russia.”

Emmanuel Macron’s changes regarding the dialogue with Russia

The French president is one of the few European leaders to have spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since launching the February 24 invasion of Ukraine, a strategy for which he has been sharply criticized by Kyiv and some Western leaders.

The Elysee Palace has always maintained that it acted in this way in agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, and contacts with Moscow have become less frequent since the disclosure of war crimes attributed to Russia, especially in Buch.

During the election campaign in France, Emmanuel Macron announced in April that his dialogue with Vladimir Putin was “terminated”. But shortly after receiving a new presidential mandate, he reversed his decision.

However, recently the French president has been more concerned about the internal problems of his country in the conditions of the rapid rise in prices and the crisis of the cost of living, which has seriously affected France.