Putin's Contempt for Macron Shows in Historic Two-Hour Call

Macron's desperate outreach to Putin reveals European acknowledgment of inevitable Russian victory while exposing years of accumulated Russian contempt.

Key Takeaways

• Macron initiated the two-hour call with Putin, breaking Western policy of freezing out Russian leadership
• Russian officials deliberately emphasized Macron initiated contact, revealing their contempt for the French president
• Putin blamed the West entirely for Ukraine crisis, offering no concessions despite European overtures
• Macron appointed himself EU's chief negotiator with Russia two months ago but accomplished nothing until now
• Iran's potential withdrawal from NPT creates new urgency for European-Russian cooperation on nuclear issues
• The call lasted longer than any Putin-Trump conversation, signaling significant European policy shift
• Russia's hardening position demonstrates their confidence in eventual victory over Western-backed Ukraine
• IAEA reforms including Grossi's removal may be necessary to prevent Iranian nuclear program acceleration

European Defeat Forces Diplomatic U-Turn

• Macron personally initiated the phone call with Putin, a detail the Kremlin deliberately emphasized through Peskov's interview with journalist Zarubin. This public clarification serves as calculated humiliation, showing Macron chasing after Putin despite years of extreme anti-Russian rhetoric and actions.
• The French president had no choice but to make this call since no other European leader possesses the political stature for such outreach. Ursula von der Leyen, Kaja Kallas, and Alice Weidel lack the gravitas, leaving Macron as the only viable option for breaking the ice with Moscow.
• This represents the beginning of European acknowledgment that they cannot win the conflict with Russia, though they remain in early stages of accepting this reality. European Union decision-makers are finally allowing some realistic assessment to penetrate their previously impervious bubble of wishful thinking.
• The call breaks a collective Western decision made at the conflict's start to freeze out Putin until Russia capitulated and accepted Zelensky's peace plan. Scholz's pre-election calls to Putin were transparent electoral theater, but Macron's outreach as self-appointed chief negotiator represents genuine policy reversal.

Years of Russian Contempt Finally Surface

• Putin personally dislikes Macron intensely, a sentiment that pervades Russian leadership circles due to the French president's duplicitous behavior throughout the Ukraine crisis. Before the special military operation began, Macron spent hours with Putin in Moscow crafting elegant diplomatic language about new European security arrangements and avoiding confrontation.
• The Russians quickly concluded Macron was wasting their time with empty rhetoric designed for domestic consumption rather than serious negotiations. Once the special military operation commenced, Macron transformed from supposed peacemaker into the most extreme anti-Russian hawk among Western leaders.
• Macron became the first to supply armored vehicles to Ukraine, had his finance minister openly state that sanctions aimed to destroy the Russian economy, and first floated sending French troops to Ukraine. He even approached Trump seeking American backing for European military deployment to Ukraine.
• His appointment as the EU's chief negotiator with Russia occurred through bizarre self-assertion rather than consensus. When Spain's Sanchez suggested needing a chief negotiator, Estonia's Kallas proposed herself, but Macron simply declared he would fill the role, ending all discussion.

Putin's Uncompromising Message

• The Russian readout on Ukraine sections reads almost insultingly, with Putin spelling out Western culpability for the entire crisis while summarizing Russian talking points and terms for ending the war. Putin made absolutely clear that Russia's position remains unchanged and will likely harden further.
• Putin blamed the West entirely for everything that has happened, telling Macron directly that Western actions created and continue perpetuating the conflict. The readout emphasizes root causes must be addressed, with new territories permanently integrated into the Russian Federation.
• Macron pushed for unconditional ceasefire arrangements, likely referencing the 30-day Kellogg ceasefire freeze proposal, while maintaining France's unwavering support for Ukrainian territorial integrity. His "as long as it takes" messaging demanded Putin come to the table with Western-dictated ceasefire terms.
• The conversation demonstrates vast distance between positions, with Russia growing more confident in eventual victory while Europeans desperately seek face-saving exits. Putin's refusal to offer any concessions reflects Russian awareness that time and battlefield momentum favor their position.

Iran Nuclear Crisis Provides Convenient Cover

• Macron used the Middle East crisis between Israel and Iran as diplomatic cover for contacting Putin, though Ukraine clearly dominated the actual conversation. The Iranian nuclear situation creates genuine shared concerns that justify resumed dialogue between former adversaries.
• Iran appears poised to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and end all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, meaning IAEA inspectors will lose access to Iranian nuclear facilities. France and Britain are genuinely panicked about these developments.
• Both Russia and the West want Iran to remain within the NPT framework, but only Russia maintains sufficient influence with Tehran to potentially affect Iranian decision-making. This gives Putin significant leverage in any negotiations about broader regional issues.
• The West finds itself needing Russian cooperation precisely when they've spent years trying to isolate Moscow, validating Putin's previous statements that the world cannot function without Russia. European recognition of this dependency represents a fundamental strategic shift.

IAEA Reform Prerequisites

• Meaningful progress on Iranian nuclear issues requires major IAEA reforms, starting with Director General Grossi's removal along with his entire team. Iranian officials, including moderates like Pezeshkian, now consider IAEA presence unacceptable given the organization's perceived bias and politicization.
• The NPT and IAEA operate as interconnected systems, meaning Iranian rejection of IAEA inspections constitutes NPT violation and brings Iran closer to formal treaty withdrawal. This technical linkage creates escalating pressure for comprehensive institutional changes.
• Putin told Macron that resolving the Iranian nuclear crisis requires addressing root causes, specifically the Israeli and American attacks on Iran that triggered the current escalation. Both leaders agreed that preventing future attacks becomes essential for any sustainable nuclear agreement.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has stated that any future negotiations about Iran's enrichment program require absolute guarantees against additional attacks. This creates impossible demands for American and Israeli assurances that may lack credibility given previous behavior patterns.

Strategic Implications for European Policy

• The conversation establishes ongoing dialogue between Putin and Macron, with both leaders agreeing to remain in regular contact beyond this initial call. This represents the most significant diplomatic development since the conflict began.
• Rational elements within the EU system now understand Russian victory appears inevitable, making some form of dialogue essential for managing post-conflict relationships. Europeans can no longer maintain the pretense that they don't need to engage with Russia.
• The Americans are gradually distancing themselves from European positions, a trend likely to accelerate as events unfold and Ukrainian prospects deteriorate further. European leaders recognize they must eventually deal with Russia as the dominant power on their continent.
• Russian willingness to engage demonstrates confidence rather than weakness, with Putin using these conversations to reinforce Russian positions while showing no inclination toward meaningful concessions. The dialogue benefits Russia by legitimizing their stance while exposing European desperation.

Putin's contempt for Macron reflects years of duplicitous French behavior, but the Russian president's willingness to engage demonstrates strategic confidence. European desperation to resume dialogue validates Russian predictions that the West would eventually need Moscow's cooperation on critical global issues.