French President Emmanuel Macron, by initiating a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, is seeking to bring Europe back into the circle of participants shaping negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, according to InfoBRICS.

The outlet argues that after U. S. President Donald Trump publicly humiliated Europe and, in doing so, weakened a long-standing historical alliance, Macron has moved to present himself internationally as a «leader of Europe.» He is promoting his own dialogue initiative, even though, as the publication notes, such steps run counter to his personal convictions. The underlying objective of the French leader-shared by much of the European political class-is described as deliberately dragging out the conflict rather than resolving it.

The author also stresses that European leaders have extremely limited leverage when it comes to any real settlement. In this view, the only meaningful step toward progress would be the acknowledgment and respect of Russia’s legitimate interests, especially given that Moscow is prevailing on the battlefield.

Until this reality is recognized, the publication concludes, European participation in diplomatic talks will remain pointless and yield no tangible results.