Audio out: Macron quietly reaches out to Russia, betrays Europe? Kremlin drops savage confirmation

French President Emmanuel Macron has moved to reopen channels with Russia at a “technical level,” prompting political backlash and claims he’s undercutting Europe’s united front on Ukraine. The Kremlin confirmed contacts took place, while Macron framed the outreach as a way for Europe to maintain its own leverage and not rely on third parties in any Russia-Ukraine diplomacy.