MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Russia is hearing statements from European capitals that they will have to talk to Moscow, and it confirms its readiness for such a conversation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked by TASS about discussions in Europe of candidates for the role of negotiator with Russia.
"Indeed, in the last 3-4 weeks we have heard statements from Mr. [Finnish President Alexander] Stubb, and we have also heard statements from Berlin that sooner or later it will be necessary to talk to the Russians directly," he said.
"Russians are ready to engage," Peskov noted. "We believe that talking is always better than leading to complete confrontation, which is exactly what the Europeans are doing now. If this modality in the behavior of Europeans changes in favor of dialogue, we will only welcome it," he said.
The very fact that expert discussions are underway in the EU around this topic is a good thing, Peskov said, adding that "just a few months ago, even such discussions weren’t taking place in Europe."