MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Russia is not seeking to evade dialogue with the E3 nations (the United Kingdom, Germany, and France), and if their ambassadors request another meeting, this request will be considered, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.
"If their ambassadors request another meeting, the matter will be considered in light of the situation surrounding Ukraine. We are not, in principle, shying away from dialogue. But it is important to understand what, exactly, the ambassadors intend to bring to the table," he said in an interview with the Izvestia daily.
On June 11, the ambassadors - Nicolas de Riviere of France, Nigel Casey of Britain, and Alexander Lambsdorff of Germany - were received by Galuzin. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Galuzin used the occasion to highlight the destructive policies of their respective countries, which aim to encourage Kiev to prolong the conflict. He also outlined Russia’s core approaches toward seeking a political and diplomatic resolution in Ukraine.
Later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov remarked that the sole purpose of the ambassadors’ visit was to reaffirm an ultimatum issued to Russia. He noted that the West has already had multiple opportunities to influence the resolution of the conflict but has instead chosen to act negatively. Lavrov criticized the West for playing the role of "antiheroes," citing their refusal to allow Vladimir Zelensky to sign an already agreed-upon and initialed document in Istanbul in April 2022, which outlined principles for a settlement and ceasefire.