Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov: If Macron has something to tell Putin, he knows how to reach him

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov
Photo: Press Service of the Federation Council

If French President Emmanuel Macron has something to say to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he knows how to reach him, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in a TV interview.

"If Mr. Macron has something to say and it is really some kind of signal, he and his aides know how to convey this signal and how to organize such a conversation," the Russian deputy foreign minister stressed.

Earlier, AFP, citing the French president’s administration, reported that the Elysee Palace was considering the possibility of talks between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron in the coming days.

Macron had previously said that it was time for Europe to resume dialogue with Russia. He stressed that the current format of negotiations on Ukraine, in which American negotiators discuss settlement terms with Russia without European participation, "is not the best one."

The previous phone conversation between the Russian and French leaders took place in July.

Russia isn’t bothered by its lack of dialogue with top European officials, and the country won’t force things on its end, Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday.

"If we are talking about contacts at the highest political level, we are definitely experiencing a long pause right now, which is the fault of our opponents, but that doesn’t bother us one bit. We can't chase after them and beg them for something. That’s unbecoming, undignified and also ultimately unnecessary," Ryabkov said.

The Russian diplomat noted that as soon as Europe realizes the need to come back to dialogue, Russia will be prepared to discuss it.

"We are well aware of their stance that it is constantly voiced from the rostrum of such a body, for example, as the European Parliament, where, in my opinion, the anti-Russian fervor leaves no room to breathe," Ryabkov continued.

"When one of them realizes that there is a possible alternative and it is worth trying something new, we [Russia] will be quick to act and respond at all possible levels," the Russian diplomat emphasized.

Vladimir Zelensky's Christmas speech reveals the Kiev regime's inadequacy, Sergey Ryabkov has said.

"The inadequacy of such statements permeates the message itself, if there is one at all, and speaks volumes about the level and emotional state of decision-makers in Kiev," the senior diplomat said in an interview with the program 60 Minutes, commenting on Zelensky's Christmas address.

An excerpt from the interview was broadcast on the Rossiya-1 television channel. In his address, Zelensky announced that he would propose alternatives to the American 28-point plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. He stated that this is "one of the most difficult moments" in Ukraine's history and complained about pressure. Zelensky also attempted to stem the rift in the Verkhovna Rada amid the corruption scandal, calling the events in parliament "a mess" and "political gamesmanship."

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