France has mastered the art of diplomacy throughout centuries. The second-largest economy in the eurozone maintains complicated political relations with Russia. Indeed, France votes for extension of sanctions on Russia and flatly rejects Russia’s participation in the Group of seven most advanced global economies. At the same time, France’s officials visit the annexed peninsula Crimea. Moreover, President Emmanuel Macron claims that he believes in bright prospects of the relations between the two countries. “Russia is European, very profoundly, and we believe in a Europe which stretches from Lisbon (Portugal) to Vladivostok (Russia),” President Macron summed up his meeting with the Russian leader.

The French President hosted his Russian counterpart ahead of the annual G7 summit which took place in France this year. Russia used to be the eights country in the group but was excluded in 2014. Emmanuel Macron reiterated that only joint efforts would ensure efficient international cooperation. Nevertheless, the French President called on Vladimir Putin to resolve the lingering conflict with Ukraine that destroys the idea of the united Europe. In this context, the present pattern of relations between France and Russia is outdated. “We're making efforts to develop the French-Russian relations. I'm convinced that during this multilateral overhaul, we need to develop the architecture of security and trust between the EU and Russia", the French leader said on the optimistic note. Nevertheless, such statements have not changed the status quo. The Presidents of France and Russia did not sign any agreements. They did not bring up the question of lifting sanctions. France again condemned Russia’s involvement in the territorial integrity of Ukraine. France has not acknowledged the Crimea as the autonomous republic inside Russia. Last but not least, France is not ready to interact with Russia in the G7 format.