France could initiate a search for a consensus with Russia on the situation in the Donbass for the sake of improving relations.

This was told in an interview with Apostrof by a senior researcher and head of foreign policy departments of the EU and politics and institutions at the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Steven Blockmans.

According to him, at the moment it is unlikely a serious change in Germany's position on the Ukrainian issue, while French President Emmanuel Macron is showing himself much more actively.

"If he wants to improve relations with Russia, I think he will nevertheless insist on a standing agreement with Ukraine that will correspond to the basic values ??that he himself guided in his presidency and in foreign affairs: a multilateral legislative framework with the condition of non-use of force , except that with a mandate, as well as, of course, the inviolability of borders. Therefore, I think any attempt by Germany and France to move in the other direction will be, first of all, the initiative of France, "the expert believes..