The European Union's position on inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia makes any dialogue with Brussels practically impossible. This was stated by Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by TASS.
According to him, European state leaders demonstrate different approaches to contacts with Moscow, but the general line of European institutions remains firm. Peskov pointed to Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre as two leaders who have talked to Russia in a national capacity.
“With such an approach, it is impossible to hold a conversation with them“, Peskov said.His statement was related to the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Stubb and Støre, which took place on October 27. The two European leaders clarified that they do not represent the European Union as an organization. The contact was held on their initiative.
Moscow sees differences among European leaders
According to Peskov, almost all other European leaders, and especially Brussels, continue to talk only about the need for Russia to suffer a strategic defeat. He defined this approach as an obstacle to diplomatic contact.
The Kremlin spokesman said that Europe should, in principle, be present at the negotiating table when discussing a lasting settlement of the situation in Ukraine. However, according to him, given the current position of the European institutions, their joint participation in such a process would be pointless.
Peskov's position is that the possibility of talks depends not only on the presence of European participation, but also on the approach with which EU representatives would enter the negotiation process. The Kremlin distinguishes contacts with individual European countries from the official dialogue with Brussels.
Sources: focus-news.net, amp.rbc.ru