Trump factor leaves Macron scrambling ahead of Russia trip
Emmanuel Macron heads to St Petersburg on Thursday seeking to win concessions from Vladimir Putin, but with Europe-US ties strained over Iran, the Russian leader may have little incentive to offer the French president a diplomatic success.
A year after hosting Putin in the regal halls of the Chateau de Versailles, Macron will seek common ground on Syria and Ukraine during a two-day visit and Moscow's help in salvaging the Iran nuclear deal abandoned by US President Donald Trump.
"The weakness of the transatlantic relationship does not give Macron sufficiently strong positions to counter Putin," said Tatiana Kastoueva-Jean, director of the Russia centre at the Paris-based Institute for International Relations.
