Emmanuel Bonne, chief diplomatic advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, traveled to Moscow to hold talks with senior Russian officials, as part of European efforts to reactivate dialogue channels with the Kremlin on the war in Ukraine, according to sources cited by Reuters.

First modification: 02/05/2026 - 08:12

Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, traveled to Moscow on Tuesday to meet with Russian officials, a source familiar with the trip and two diplomatic sources told Reuters on Wednesday, February 4. The move was initially revealed by L'Express.

The objective of the meeting with Kremlin officials was to maintain a dialogue between both parties on fundamental issues, in particular Ukraine. No further details were provided about the content of the conversations.

The Elysée neither confirmed nor denied this information and stated: "As the president said yesterday during his appearance before the media, there are conversations at a technical level, with transparency and in consultation with President (Ukrainian Volodymyr) Zelensky and with the main European partners."

Emmanuel Bonne held talks in Moscow with Yuri Ushakov, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the two diplomatic sources. They added that Paris' allies were previously informed of the initiative.

"Finding a framework" for dialogue with Moscow

In December, while the United States was leading negotiations between kyiv and Moscow, Emmanuel Macron declared that it would be pertinent to "find a framework" to return to direct dialogue with Russia and end the conflict triggered by the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

On February 3, the French president stressed to reporters the importance of Europeans reestablishing their own channels of dialogue with Moscow, which is why efforts are being made to resume exchanges with Vladimir Putin, in consultation with kyiv.

“There are ongoing conversations at a technical level,” he said.

On February 4, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Emmanuel Macron had called him to inform him that "he was reflecting on resuming dialogue with the Russians."

"He knows what I think," added the Ukrainian president in an interview in kyiv with France 2.

"Putin's interest is to humiliate Europe," he said. "The pressure on Putin is not enough. When there is talk of resuming dialogue with Putin, the question arises: at what moment? (…) We must dialogue, but establishing conditions."

Europeans have moved to strengthen Ukraine's position in the negotiations, especially concerned about the Russian president's military ambitions and the possibility that Washington will pressure kyiv to accept a deal favorable to Moscow.

On Wednesday, February 4, the most recent talks, described as "productive", between Ukrainian and Russian representatives took place in Abu Dhabi, under American mediation.

With Reuters

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