
FIFA President Infantino is proposing to ‘unfreeze’ Russia in football; Ukraine responded with accusations of immorality – sport is once again becoming an arena of war
04.02.2026 - 12:41
The number of Ukrainians willing to concede Donbas to Moscow for the sake of peace is growing, the New York Times reports
04.02.2026 - 14:01French President Emmanuel Macron said that preparations for contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin are being carried out at the technical level.
Macron told journalists this during a trip to the Haute-Saône department.
The French president noted that consultations on the matter are also being held with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He added that, within the framework of the “coalition of the willing,” preparations are underway for talks on a peaceful settlement of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The countries are working on security guarantees for Ukraine.
On December 19, Emmanuel Macron said it would be “useful” for Europe to resume dialogue with Vladimir Putin. In early January, he announced preparations for a conversation with the Russian president that would take place “in the coming weeks.”
The last time the French and Russian presidents spoke by phone was on July 1, which was their first conversation in almost three years. At that time, Macron urged Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine and to begin negotiations to end the conflict.





