The president of the trans‑Atlantic think‑tank German Marshall Fund (GMF), Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, delivered sharp criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron. “France’s contacts with Moscow are diplomatic theatre” she told Handelsblatt in its Friday edition.
Macron has already admitted that Russia shows no real willingness to engage in serious cease‑fire negotiations with Ukraine. Nevertheless, he recently called for a broader European dialogue with Russia and dispatched his chief security adviser to Moscow for talks. “That is mere show, not progress” Scheffer replied.
Such unilateral actions, she warned, come at a precarious time just before the Munich Security Conference, where Europe aims to demonstrate unity. “France is acting as a self‑appointed European interlocutor instead of first developing a cohesive position. That creates exactly the fragmentation that Moscow exploits”. Scheffer urged Europe to muster the discipline needed to speak with one voice to Russia. “At present that unity is lacking”.