“You know, this is not serious. It’s pathetic diplomacy. If you want to call and have a serious conversation, then call. Putin will always pick up the phone. He will always hear out any proposals, especially serious ones,” Lavrov said
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed French efforts to revive dialogue between President Emmanuel Macron and President Vladimir Putin as “pathetic,” just days after Macron’s top diplomatic adviser travelled to Moscow for high-level talks.
“French President Emmanuel Macron about two weeks ago once again said he would somehow call (Vladimi) Putin,” Russia Today quoted Lavrov as saying in an interview.
“You know, this is not serious. It’s pathetic diplomacy. If you want to call and have a serious conversation, then call. Putin will always pick up the phone. He will always hear out any proposals, especially serious ones,” Lavrov added.
According to Politico, citing two EU diplomats, Emmanuel Bonne visited Moscow on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for a resumption of direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The two leaders have not spoken since shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
One of the diplomats said Bonne met Yury Ushakov, a senior aide to Putin who is also part of Russia’s delegation in the US-brokered peace talks with Ukraine.
French officials declined to confirm or deny Bonne’s visit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov adopted the same stance on Thursday, saying he would not comment out of “solidarity” with the French side.
Macron said on Tuesday that “technical talks” were under way to restore dialogue with Moscow, while his office said on Wednesday that the discussions were being conducted transparently “and in consultation with President Zelenskyy and with our main European colleagues.”
The French president has repeatedly argued that European leaders must engage directly with Moscow, as negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States continue and the war approaches its fifth year.
Russia analyst Tatiana Stanovaya said in a post on X that the Kremlin’s response suggests it is receptive to Macron’s outreach “but remains deeply [sic] sceptical about what Europe can offer.”
With inputs from agencies
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