Russia Open to Talks but Lavrov Doubts Deal Is Possible With Current EU Leaders

Russia remains open to dialogue, but reaching agreements with the current generation of European leaders will likely prove impossible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, according to a correspondent from RBC.

Lavrov accused European politicians of appealing to dialogue with Moscow primarily to impress their domestic audiences rather than to pursue serious diplomacy.

"For four years they talked about the unacceptability of any dialogue with Moscow. And now, suddenly, when they want to stand out from the crowd chanting slogans about inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, they start saying that we should talk after all,”

Lavrov said in response to a question about whether dialogue with Russia could be resumed.

Diplomacy Requires Action, Not Public Gestures

The minister added that leaders genuinely interested in meaningful talks should not "proudly announce” their intentions in public while waiting for approval from voters. Instead, he said, they should simply pick up the phone, as diplomatic tradition requires.

Lavrov also stated that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen show no real interest in a political settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

According to him, these leaders seek to push through Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace proposal, which calls for an immediate ceasefire paired with binding legal security guarantees for Ukraine. Lavrov argued that this approach aims to preserve "that regime” in Kyiv rather than achieve a lasting settlement.

European Debate Over Renewing Talks With Moscow

In mid-December, Emmanuel Macron urged the European Union to prepare for possible negotiations with Russia if ongoing consultations fail to deliver what he described as a durable peace for Ukraine. In response, the Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin remains ready for dialogue with the French president, provided that mutual political will exists.

On January 7, Macron said he intended to hold talks with the Russian president in the coming weeks.

Later in January, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also supported the idea of launching negotiations between Europe and Russia, while stressing the need for a unified European position. She backed the appointment of an EU special envoy to conduct talks with both Kyiv and Moscow.

EU Signals Caution Despite Growing Support for Dialogue

The European Commission acknowledged that Brussels may eventually have to engage in negotiations with Vladimir Putin. However, Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho emphasized that no signals currently indicate the Russian president's readiness for such talks.

European diplomats and officials later told Politico that leaders within EU institutions and national governments support Macron's and Meloni's calls to reopen dialogue with Russia. According to the publication, the main objective involves safeguarding core European principles and demonstrating to the United States that the European Union retains its own leverage.

Moscow has repeatedly stated its willingness to negotiate. Vladimir Putin has said that Europe itself abandoned dialogue after embracing the concept of Russia's "strategic defeat” and continues, in his view, to operate under those illusions.