Macron told Zelensky about the visit of advisor Bonn to Moscow: what is behind this channel of dialogue with the Kremlin
12.02.2026France is trying to get back into the big game over the future security architecture and a possible deal on Ukraine — and it is doing so with a quiet visit to the Kremlin by its top diplomat. Emmanuel Macron assures Volodymyr Zelensky that he is acting “transparently and in coordination,” but his adviser Emmanuel Bonn’s mission to Moscow exposes a thorny question: where to draw the line between useful diplomacy and dangerous normalization of the Putin regime1 4 8 .
What happened: Bonn's "unnoticed" visit to Moscow
According to Censor.net, citing French and international media, on February 3, the chief diplomatic advisor to the French President, Emmanuel Bonn, who has headed the foreign policy department of the Elysee Palace since 2019, "unnoticed" his departure to Moscow.1 6 Reuters, Bloomberg, Le Monde and L'Express specify: in the Kremlin he met with Yuri Ushakov, Putin's key foreign policy advisor, as well as other representatives of the Russian leadership.4 9 10 . At the same time, the trip took place against the backdrop of a separate track of negotiations involving Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives in Abu Dhabi, which only emphasizes its autonomous nature.2 4 .
The French administration did not officially confirm or deny the fact of the meetings, limiting itself to the formulation: "as the president has already said, discussions are continuing at a technical level, transparently and in coordination with President Zelensky and European partners."4 7 Diplomatic sources in Kyiv and Brussels claim that allies have been warned about the initiative, but the details of the negotiations remain closed even to a significant part of European capitals.3 5 It is this gap between declared “transparency” and actual secrecy that is creating tensions in Kyiv — and in the wider Eastern European region.
What Macron wanted: "to bring Europe back to the table"
Le Monde and Bloomberg describe the Bonn mission as an attempt by Paris to “book Europe’s place” in future talks to end the war and create a new security architecture for the continent.2 9 10 According to their data, the French president believes that in recent months Washington has effectively monopolized the key track of dialogue with Moscow - despite the fact that it is the EU and its neighbors who are paying the main price for the war, sanctions and militarization of economies.2 7 Macron's idea is simple: if the US attempts at "grand bargains" fail, Europeans should be prepared to have a difficult conversation with the Kremlin themselves, not allowing their interests to be determined behind their backs.2 7 11 .
Back in December 2025, Macron publicly stated that “Europeans will have to resume direct negotiations with Putin if US efforts fail.”6 From this perspective, Bonn's visit is a logical continuation of his long-standing line: to maintain at least technical channels of communication with the Kremlin, even when the political level of contact is frozen.2 6 . French diplomacy on the sidelines adds: Europe's presence in the potential "hourglass of negotiations" is not about "giving Putin a gift" but about protecting its own interests, from guarantees for Eastern European allies to control over any future sanctions and security arrangements.2 7 9 .
Zelensky's reaction: "he knows my opinion"
Volodymyr Zelensky himself gave his version of the conversation with Macron in comments to French and Ukrainian media. According to Le Monde, the Ukrainian president confirmed that Macron “recently informed him of the plan to ‘resume dialogue with the Russians’” and added: “He knows my opinion.”2 . Zelenskyy then raised the key question that worries Kyiv today: “When we talk about resuming dialogue with Putin, the question is — at what point? My position: dialogue is possible, but there must be conditions.”2 3 That is, it is not about an abstract taboo on negotiations, but about a moment and a framework that will not look like a reward for the aggressor.
Ukrainian sources, referred to by European Truth and RBC-Ukraine, specify: Kyiv insists that any contacts with the Kremlin should be conducted "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine" - with a clearly defined role of our state as a full-fledged party, not an object of bargaining.3 8 At the same time, the President's Office admits that, at a technical level, communication channels with the Russians have never completely disappeared - this concerns military de-escalation, prisoner exchanges, and humanitarian agreements.3 8 The fundamental difference between this and the Bonn visit is in the level of symbolism and the Kremlin's potential expectations from the "return of the great Europeans to Moscow."
Why Bonn and Ushakov: the “heavy artillery” of backroom diplomacy
The characters in this story are not random bureaucrats. Emmanuel Bonn is not just an advisor: he is a person who has been in charge of Macron's foreign policy kitchen for many years, coordinating dossiers on Iran, Lebanon, and security issues in the Sahel, and was one of the architects of Paris' previous attempts to "call Putin" in 2019-2022.4 9 When Macron sends him to Moscow, it is a signal: France is not testing the waters with intelligence, it is deliberately launching a serious diplomatic channel with a mandate from the Elysee Palace.2 4 .
Yuri Ushakov is a mirror image on the other side of the table. A former Russian ambassador to the United States and a long-time foreign policy advisor to Putin, he oversees the most sensitive areas of negotiation — from contacts with the White House to coordinating positions in the BRICS format.4 10 The meeting at the Bonn-Ushakov level means that the parties are not talking about technical details, but about the framework: what scenarios for ending the war Moscow is considering, what role Paris and the EU want to see for themselves in this, what “guarantees” the Kremlin hopes for, and how this relates to the red lines of Kyiv and Washington.2 4 9 .
Secret diplomacy and risks for Ukraine
Ukrainian analysts and some Western observers immediately saw in the Bonn mission a dangerous precedent of “returning to business as usual” with Moscow. Materials from Ukrainian and Western publications remind us that it was through such “backroom channels” that the Kremlin in the past tried to promote formulas that were beneficial to itself — from reformatting the Minsk agreements to ideas of “freezing” the conflict on Russian terms.5 8 . The timing is also worrying: Bonn's visit took place against the backdrop of complex discussions in the US regarding the continuation of military aid to Ukraine and the Kremlin's attempts to impose a narrative of "war fatigue" in the West on the international community.5 7 .
The risk for Kyiv is obvious: if European capitals begin to build their own channels of "normalization" with Moscow in parallel, the Kremlin will be tempted to play on the differences in the Western camp, offering individual countries "special status" in exchange for softening their position on Ukraine.5 8 In such a scenario, Eastern European countries will have to spend even more effort to keep the EU on a hard line – sanctions, restrictions on the shadow fleet, military support – and prevent a return to the logic of “Minsk 3.0” with a “gray zone” between NATO and Russia.5 7 11 .
Arguments from Paris: why it is also dangerous to talk to the Kremlin without
At the same time, it would be too easy to dismiss Macron’s motivation entirely. French and European think tanks warn that if Europeans abandon direct contact with the Kremlin altogether, the vacuum will be filled by others—China, the global South, or even more hard-line “hawks” within the Russian leadership itself, who could push for escalation.2 7 9 From this perspective, a technical channel at the Bonn-Ushakov level is a way to at least see what is happening on the other side and not let future escalations or major agreements come as a surprise to the EU.2 4 10 .
France also claims the role of a separate center of power in Europe - with its own vision of "European strategic autonomy." This means that Paris is objectively interested in the EU not being just an appendage to American policy towards Russia and Ukraine, but being able to form its own line - albeit in coordination with Washington and Kyiv.2 7 However, in order for such autonomy not to turn into the traditional French “balancing game” between aggressor and victim, Macron will have to publicly reaffirm two key principles every time: no decisions on Ukraine without Ukraine, and no discount for Moscow on responsibility for the war and war crimes.3 5 7 .
What does this mean for Kyiv and the region?
For Ukraine, the Bonn story is another reminder that the diplomatic front is no less difficult than the real front. Kyiv will have to simultaneously maintain trust in key allies and strictly monitor every “alternative dialogue” between the West and the Kremlin, not allowing the beautiful formulas of the “security architecture” to hide a banal desire to “close the war” without restoring justice.3 5 8 For the countries of Eastern Europe, the Baltics and Scandinavia, this is another argument to speak to Paris and Berlin not only in the language of criticism, but also in the language of specific proposals - how exactly the EU can be involved in future security guarantees for Ukraine and the region, without turning into a mediator between the aggressor and the victim.7 11 .
Ultimately, the Bonn mission became a test not only for Macron, but for the entire West. Can European and American capitals simultaneously keep three things in mind — military pressure on Russia, economic “strangulation” of its war machine, and a controlled diplomatic channel that does not turn into a “new normal” with Putin?3 5 9 ? The answer to this question depends not only on the format of the future peace, but also on whether this war will become a real lesson for European security or another pause before the next round of aggression.
Sources
- Censor.net: Retelling of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statements about being informed about Emmanuel Bonn's visit and Macron's plans to "resume dialogue" with Moscow.
- Le Monde: "Macron sends his diplomatic adviser to Moscow" – details of Bonn's trip, meeting with Yuri Ushakov, and Zelensky's comment.
- European Truth / Pravda.com.ua: news about Macron's advisor's visit to Moscow, mentions of coordination with Kyiv and allies.
- Reuters: "French president's top diplomat held talks in Moscow on Tuesday" – confirmation of Bonn's arrival, description of the official position of the Elysee Palace.
- UNN / RBC-Ukraine: materials about Macron's "secret diplomacy" and France's attempt to secure Europe a place at the table of future negotiations.
- 24 Channel (Ukrainian/Russian versions): analysis of the goals of Bonn's visit, Macron's statements about the resumption of dialogue, and Kyiv's reaction.
- Euronews: A look at how Macron is "pushing Europe" to rethink its policy on contacts with Russia.
- France 24: "Macron's envoy met with Russian officials for peace talks in Moscow" – extended context on France's role in potential peace talks.
- Bloomberg: "Macron's Envoy Traveled to Moscow for Rare Meetings With Russia" – a focus on Paris's attempts to strengthen the European presence in the negotiations.
- L'Express: article about Bonn's "unnoticed visit" to Moscow and France's motivation to remain in the negotiation process.
- NN.in.ua / regional analytical reviews: critical assessments of Bonn's visit as an example of part of Europe returning to "dialogue with Putin" while Ukraine pays for the war with blood.
