Kremlin: Ready for Dialogue with France and Germany Amid Efforts to Peacefully Resolve Ukraine Crisis

Moscow -- The Russian presidency (the Kremlin) announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to hold telephone talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, affirming Moscow’s openness to dialogue with various international leaders as part of efforts to reach a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted presidential aide Yuri Ushakov on Friday as saying that Putin is ready to communicate with all leaders, noting that the participation of European countries in the trilateral negotiations between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine “has not yet been under discussion.” Ushakov stated that there are currently no specific details regarding the timing of the trilateral talks, clarifying that the Kremlin has taken note of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks about his readiness to discuss the regional issue. He added that “all parties are currently seeking to end the conflict in Ukraine, while European capitals are experiencing a state of confusion,” pointing out that “the travel of European representatives to Abu Dhabi to hold talks on the crisis does not, in itself, constitute their participation in the trilateral negotiations.” In the humanitarian sphere, the Kremlin confirmed a “high level” of cooperation between the human rights commissioners of Russia and Ukraine within the ongoing humanitarian process in the city of Alyoshki. On another front, Ushakov accused Ukraine of “seeking to obstruct Russian interests in the African continent,” affirming that Moscow is making efforts to counter these attempts. He noted that Putin will hold nine bilateral meetings with African leaders today as part of his presidential schedule. (End) D.A.N. / M.A.A.