President Putin goes to France 'Visit unplanned'

ALEX GORKA   | 05/24/2017 | WORLD

President Putin goes to France 'Visit unplanned'

The announcement of the visit of President Putin to France made on May 22 by Russia and France was a surprise. Date - May 29 - he was not known, but the next event is not exactly a bolt from the blue. The visit has been in the works for quite a long time.

The event has a special meaning in the context of European cruise US President Trump. Events more or less coincide in time.Brussels - the city to be visited by the US president - and Paris are relatively close. A Trump-Putin meeting in Europe before the summit of the G-20   has been considered as  a possibility. President Trump can not fly straight home after the G7 summit in Sicily ended on May 27 may fall to Iceland, Slovenia, Malta and France on their way to Washington.

The Russian president's visit to France comes just three weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron was elected and seven months after a Russian-French summit in Paris was suspended after former President Hollande said he would see the president of Russia only for talks on Syria.Together, Putin and Macron an exhibition organized by the Hermitage Museum in Russia in Versailles, which is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the visit to France by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great will open.

The two countries have different views on the situation in Syria. France has also been one of the leading countries of the European Union to press for sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis. During the election campaign, he called Macron a tougher line on Russia than the other three of the top four, but emphasized that it was vital to continue the dialogue with Moscow.

Presidents Putin and Macron will touch on a number of critical issues, including bilateral relations, Syria, NATO, the EU and Ukraine.The two leaders agreed at their first phone call on May 18 to continue discussions on Ukraine and Syria despite their conflicting views.

Russian Ambassador to France Alexander Orlov,   said   Moscow had a "positive perception" of Macron, whom he described as "as" a real head of state - very intelligent, realistic and pragmatic. " I think it is not very ideological compared to their predecessors, "Orlov told a meeting of business leaders on May 19" With it, we are more likely to move on than before. " The ambassador also   said that   "Russia is ready to take the first step with the new French president ... to overcome mutual distrust in recent years."

In fact, the French president is certainly not a russianfobic. None of the leading French politicians is. Macron was a pro-NATO alone among rivals who do not put the bilateral relationship on the top of the agenda candidate for the EU. French President may have other priorities, but you can not ignore Russia, especially in view of the overwhelming majority of French voters want the improved relationship. On May 18, the two presidents held a   telephone conversation   to affirm their desire to work together on current international and regional issues, including the fight against terrorism. It was then that the possibilities for future personal contacts were discussed.

The four main candidates won about 20% support each other in the first round of the French presidential election. Three of the four calls to improve relations with Moscow.This view is supported by the political elite, including two out of three former presidents - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Jacques Chirac with the third - Nicolas Sarkozy - uncommitted. In fact, France   has nothing to gain   and much to lose by keeping Western sanctions against Russia.

The parliamentary vote is in June. Macron if lost, you will have their hands tied as president. The president will have other parties to form a coalition if your En Marche!movement does well and gets 26% of the votes is projected to get, at best. Improving relations with Russia can bring Macron more popular support -   something it desperately needs  .

Under pressure from Washington it is not as strong as before, there is an opportunity to leave the trade war gradually die away.Historically, France has often tended to be less anti-Russian Anglo-Saxon countries.During the Cold War, France withdrew from NATO strategic command and often spoke of himself as a third force, between the USand the Soviet Union.