Franco-German call for Russia summit meets EU resistance

FILE PHOTO: European Union leaders attend a round table meeting on the second day of a face-to-face EU summit in Brussels, Belgium May 25, 2021. Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERS

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -France and Germany called on Thursday for a European Union summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin but met firm resistance from Poland and Baltic countries who distrust the Kremlin.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the first EU summit with Putin since January 2014 would be a chance for dialogue and won support from Austria's chancellor as EU leaders arrived for their regular summer meeting in Brussels to discuss a new strategy to improve ties with Moscow.