Bloomberg: Macron wants China to help bring Ukraine, Russia to negotiating table

French President Emmanuel Macron wants China to help bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, Bloomberg reported on April 18.

According to Bloomberg, Macron's foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonne has been tasked with working with Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, "to establish a framework that could be used as a basis for future negotiations."

People familiar with the matter who spoke with Bloomberg on condition of anonymity said that France is hoping talks between Ukraine and Russia can happen by summer.

During his visit to China in early April, Macron said that he believed China had a major role to play in "building peace."

However, he also acknowledged in an interview with French financial newspaper Les Echos in early April that for any negotiations to take place certain "milestones" had to be established.

President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone with Macron on April 15 to discuss the French president's recent visit to China and the situation on the frontline.

Why Ukraine chooses to negotiate on the battlefield, not at peace talks

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed his 10-point peace plan to G20 leaders in Bali on Nov. 15, he had only recently returned from a historic visit to Kherson, the liberation of which marks another great step towards the return of all Russian-occupied territory. Touching on factors…

Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell