Will Macron push for the lifting of sanctions against Putin?

Hardly had Emmanuel Macron settled fully into the Élysée Palace in Paris after his victory over Marine Le Pen when,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin and France's new President Emmanuel Macron held their first phone conversation and discussed possible further cooperation in resolving the Ukraine crisis, the Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday.

They also expressed readiness to develop relations between Russia and France and spoke about a possibility of future contacts, according to the statement." (Vladimir Soldatkin : Reuters : Thu May 18, 2017)

Recall that on the day following Macron winning the French presidential elections,
 
"In a telegram Putin told the new president that Russia is ready for constructive work on bilateral and global issues. He urged Macron to “overcome mutual distrust” and join forces." (Alexandra Topping (right): The Guardian : Monday 8 May 2017) (my emphasis)

Let us now cast our minds back to Macron's Moscow visit in January of 2016.

As reported by Kenneth Rapoza,

"French Finance Minister Emmanuel Macron hinted this weekend in Moscow that his country would support an end to sanctions when they come up for renewal in July. "The objective we all share is to be able to lift sanctions next summer because the process has been respected," he was quoted as saying in Le Figaro on Monday." (Forbes : Jan 25, 2016) (my emphasis)

Macron's hope for the removal of sanctions against Putin in July 2016 did, however, not materialise.

Then, just as he had done in the US presidential elections, Putin's FSB 'cyber' unit also hacked the Macron election campaign on the very eve of the French presidential elections..

Given that yesterday Macron and Putin, "...discussed possible further cooperation in resolving the Ukraine crisis", are we now to assume that, Macron has 'overcome his distrust of Putin', as urged by Putin in his congratulatory telegram to Macron after the French presidential elections?

Is it this possible overcoming of distrust against Putin by Macron that has motivated Ukrainian MP Nadiia Savchenko (left) to urge Macron in a letter addressed to him,

"Savchenko called on Macron to maintain and strengthen sanctions against Russia, as the "authority of this country only understands force and resolve"? (112UA : 10 May 2017) (my emphasis)

Putin's growing desperation to have the EU-US sanctions against him lifted, which was imposed upon him because of his illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea and his ongoing war with Ukraine in the Donbas, is amply illustrated by his links between Trump and his associates during the US presidential election, and the ultimate election of Trump to the presidency of the US.

Putin's recent gloating over the fact that Trump divulged top secret information to that dyed-in-the-wool Russian Foreign Secretary, Sergey Lavrov, and the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, in the very presidential inner sanctum of the Oval Office itself, should give French President Macron cause for concern.

 
Already Macron seems to be following in the footsteps of Donald Trump in his attempt to try and control the Frenchs press.

As reported by Sylvie Corbet (left),

"Some French political reporters said that Macron's office called their media organization to designate specific journalists who will be able to cover Macron's first trip outside Europe, scheduled in Mali on Friday.

In the past, French media would decide themselves who to send on presidential trips.
......
Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said the actions of Macron's young presidency were a "concerning signal to the press" and "could be used as a way of putting pressure on the media." (The State : May 18, 2017) (my emphasis)

Whether Macron's seeming rapproachment with Putin leads him towards devaluing the Minsk2 protocols and pushes him towards arguing for a lifting of EU sanctions against Putin now becomes a distinct possibility.

Macron may be an ardent proponent of the EU but, where sanctions are concerned, it should always be borne in mind that in 2016 he stated that,

"The objective we all share is to be able to lift sanctions next summer because the process has been respected," (ibid Kenneth Rapoza)

(to be continued)