It is impossible to negotiate under drones, Paris responds to Russian ruler Vladimir Putin’s Istanbul peace talks proposal, reports Radio France.
Ukraine, France, Germany, the UK, and Poland offered Russia a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Should the Kremlin refuse, Ukraine’s allies plan to intensify sanctions. Instead of responding constructively, Putin dismissed the ceasefire proposal and called for a return to direct talks in Istanbul, as in 2022. Just hours after his statement, Ukraine was hit by a massive overnight swarm of more than 100 kamikaze drones.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot says Europe must participate in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkiye, but emphasizes that dialogue is only possible once a ceasefire is in place.
He recalls that the 2022 attempt at talks yielded nothing, and what followed were the atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha.
During negotiations in Istanbul in 2022, Russia demanded that Ukraine appoint pro-Russian ex-MP Viktor Medvedchuk as head of state. Moscow has since used the failure of these talks to frame Ukraine as unwilling to pursue peace, claiming Kyiv is influenced by Western powers to prolong the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russia also insisted on full control over Donbas, requiring Ukraine to amend its Constitution to recognize this, reduce its military to 50,000 personnel, and hold a referendum on adopting a neutral status.
"You don’t negotiate under bombs or drones. Yes, we want peace — but only after a complete ceasefire," the French foreign minister states.
According to Barrot, current sanctions have already cost Russia €400 billion — roughly equivalent to three years of its military budget.
"We have the tools to deal an even more devastating blow to the Russian economy if Putin chooses war again," he warns.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has echoed France’s position, stating that "the guns must fall silent first" before diplomacy can begin, Spiegel reports.
