Emmanuel Macron’s advisors, Emmanuel Bonne and Bertrand Buchwalter, faced a harsh and profane rejection from the Kremlin during a February trip to Moscow regarding Europe’s involvement in Ukraine negotiations. According to Financial Times sources, the French envoys stated that the EU would not support a ceasefire agreement if it were not involved in the discussions, as the security of the entire region is at stake. However, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian President, reportedly rejected the overtures using vulgar language, telling them to “go f*** themselves.”
The European diplomats insisted that without direct participation from Brussels, any ceasefire agreement would lack EU backing. In response, a senior European diplomat claimed Ushakov’s reply made it clear that Moscow had no interest in negotiating with European structures.
The Kremlin’s stance and the lack of common ground
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the lack of common ground to the publication, stating that the French representatives “brought no positive signals.” According to Moscow’s version, European countries do not demonstrate a desire to facilitate a real peace process, which, from the Kremlin’s perspective, makes their participation in negotiations meaningless.
This diplomatic escalation comes amid France’s attempts to position itself as a key mediator in Europe. However, the Kremlin’s sharp reaction confirms Moscow’s course toward negotiating exclusively with the US, ignoring European capitals as independent political players in matters of global security.
Analytical summary: The Kremlin’s public diplomatic demarche marks a final breakdown of dialogue with the EU as an institution. In 2026, this will lead to even greater consolidation of European countries around military support for Ukraine, as political avenues for influencing Moscow have been completely blocked.