Lavrov States Conditions Under Which Putin Will Engage with Macron

Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to dialogue with French President Emmanuel Macron, provided the French side is genuinely willing to engage and adheres to elementary standards of decency. This was announced on December 19 by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a press conference following talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

“If he is ready to talk, our president has repeatedly emphasized that he is always open to communication, but with the condition that there are polite people with certain basic decency,” Lavrov was quoted by the Regnum news agency.

The Russian Foreign Minister also noted that Macron's statements regarding the necessity of dialogue with Russia seem contradictory compared to his previous statements. According to Lavrov, in recent months, the French president has often placed the blame for the created situation solely on Russia and personally on Putin.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron stated after the EU summit in Brussels that it is time for Europe to resume dialogue with Russia.