Rarely in recent years has the Kremlin been so popular with European visitors.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives Monday. T he Hungarian prime minister visited last week. And in days to come, the German chancellor will be there, too.
All are hoping to get through to President Vladimir Putin, the man who singlehandedly shapes Russia’s course amid its military buildup near Ukraine and whose designs are a mystery even for his own narrow inner circle.
“The priority for me on the Ukrainian question is dialogue with Russia and de-escalation,” Macron said this week as reporters were asking about a possible in-person meeting with Putin. “I’m very worried by the situation on the ground.”
There are some signs that relations could thaw.
“From Putin’s perspective, he already has had something of a win, because he’s got our undivided attention and part of the exercise was clearly to get us to focus on him,” Fiona Hill, a former U.S. intelligence officer on Russia and Eurasian affairs, testified last week during a congressional hearing.
