AP:

PARIS — Having failed to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to stay in the Iran nuclear accord, French President Emmanuel Macron is reaching out to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Macron heads to St. Petersburg on Thursday amid deep differences with Putin over Syria, Ukraine and alleged Russian meddling abroad. But both men want to salvage the Iranian nuclear deal.

Macron’s aides insist he is not cozying up to Putin, or seeking to pivot away from France’s longstanding alliance with the U.S. in favor of one with Russia and China.

Rather, they say Macron wants to keep a dialogue open to help solve world crises. And France wants Russia to use its influence with Iran to ensure it respects its nuclear commitments despite Trump’s decision.

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