MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Russia is open to contacts but Europe is not interested in that, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.
"When anyone of them [European officials] understands that alternative options are possible and that something new should be tried, we won’t leave this unanswered, we will respond at all levels. Naturally, I cannot say how, when and what will be possible at the top level, it would be super-irresponsible of me. But, basically, we are open to contacts. But there is neither willingness nor interest on the opposite side," he said in an interview with the 60Minutes program on the Rossiya-1 television channel, when asked whether Russian maintains any contacts with Europe.
According to the senior Russian diplomat, political contacts between the sides are maintained but this in not done publicly. "When it comes to top-level contacts at the political level, naturally, we now have a long pause because of our adversaries, our opponents, because of this notorious anti-Russian group who rule the roost in the European Union. We have no contacts at this level. But we do not feel uncomfortable about this," he explained.
"After all, this is their (European countries - TASS) choice. We cannot be chasing after them, begging for anything. This is not serious, not right, and unnecessary. We know their position. It has been constantly voiced from the rostrum of such a body as the European Parliament, where, in my opinion, there is no air to breath amid the anti-Russian frenzy," Ryabkov noted.
He also stated that there have been no attempts to get in touch with the Russian foreign ministry from the French side. "If Mr. [French President Emmanuel] Macron has opted to change something in this respect (readiness for contacts with Russia - TASS), well, we will see, we will adjust our course against this," he added.
The AFP news agency reported earlier, citing the French leader’s administration, that the Elysee Palace will look into the possibility of organizing Macron’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon.
Prior to that, the French president said that it was time Europe resume dialogue with Russia. He stressed that the current format of talks on Ukraine, when American negotiators are discussing settlement terms with Russia without the Europeans, is not optimal.