The visit was arranged with the utmost discretion, far from the negotiations between Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives that resumed on Wednesday, February 4, in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Emmanuel Bonne, the head of the diplomatic unit at the Elysée, traveled to Moscow the previous day to prepare for a possible resumption of talks between the French and Russian presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin. He met with Yuri Ushakov, the diplomatic adviser to the Russian leader. The visit was first reported by L’Express.
“Technical-level discussions are taking place transparently and in consultation with President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and with key European colleagues,” the Elysée simply stated on Wednesday evening. On Tuesday, Macron was asked about his intention, revealed in December 2025, to resume talks with Putin. “Preparations are underway from a technical perspective,” he said, adding that renewed contact would be “useful,” even though Putin has shown no intention of halting the fighting.
A few days earlier, Bonne stopped in Washington to discuss nuclear deterrence with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ahead of a speech on the subject by Macron, scheduled before early March. Bonne also mentioned his upcoming visit to Moscow.
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