MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Russia is now preparing for the upcoming talks on Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters at the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

He noted that France should focus on resolving the issues within its own country instead of criticizing Russia’s cooperation with Africa.

TASS has compiled the senior diplomat’s key statements.

Relations with US

Moscow is skeptical that the results of the US midterm elections will change the White House’s approach to Russia: "Let’s wait for the results. We don't pin our hopes on the election results drastically improving our relations. Unfortunately, a bipartisan anti-Russian consensus has formed in the US, and it seems like reasonable forces are forming outside the current Congress."

There are forces in the US who want peace and cooperation and view Russia as a potentially important partner: "Elections in any country are an important tool for gauging public opinion. In the case of the US, we can clearly see a big gap in the approach to international affairs between elites, including the Congress component, and people who are removed from politics. They want peace, they want cooperation and they want a prosperous life and they regard Russia as a potentially significant partner, despite all propaganda."

Ukrainian settlement

Russia hopes that its close dialogue with the Trump administration will allow Moscow to launch settlement talks and tackle the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict: "We are currently engaged in close, intensive dialogue with the Trump administration. We expect the US president’s and his team’s efforts on the Ukrainian track, in particular, to reach a point where we can really speak about ensuring a sustainable and reliable settlement that guarantees our fundamental interests and corresponds to the provisions of our Constitution. This will allow us to solve the problems stemming from the conflict’s root causes, ranging from security to the rights of the Russian-speaking population and the Russian Orthodox Church, which we constantly mention."

Russia is now preparing for the upcoming talks on Ukraine: "It is premature to talk about the Abu Dhabi negotiations. Of course, there is a preliminary understanding that soon there will be talks that take place at this very venue, Abu Dhabi, that's true. But in general, we are only preparing for it now."

Russia will counter the efforts of the "war party" residing in European capitals to interfere in the Ukrainian settlement: "The experience of the past meetings in general have demonstrated the rather vigorous opposition of the so-called war party, which is first and foremost represented by European capitals, to the rational approaches of the [US President Donald] Trump administration. This creates false hopes in Kiev and essentially prolongs the conflict. We have seen this before. We don't want this story to repeat itself now that the upcoming meeting in Abu Dhabi is being discussed seriously. We will counter it."

Arms trafficking from Ukraine

Ukrainian militants penetrating into Africa is a dangerous phenomenon: "We have seen it and we continue to see it in several states and in many directions. The events in North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, particularly the attack on the Arctic Metagaz LNG carrier (which was attacked by drones launched from the territory of Libya - TASS) remind us of the troubling nature of Ukrainian militant incursions in Africa."

"Kiev is now boasting its capability to develop drone technologies."

"And now, against the backdrop of arms trafficking, including of Western weapons, in many countries, against the background of the rising risks in the terrorist sphere, including as a result of this know-how, we must work with the corresponding countries to double our efforts to put an end to this."

Cooperation with other countries

Western sanctions will not force Russia to abandon cooperation with African countries, BRICS partners, and other partners in the Eurasian space: "No sanctions and no attempts to invoke this trite rhetoric about Russia's so-called isolation will move us off this path. We will continue to cooperate with everyone: Africans, BRICS participants, and our neighbors in the vast Eurasian region."

Recently, Russia "has not only spoken out, but also worked actively on this path": "So there is a lot to do, and former colonial powers aren’t the only fish in the sea."

"Of course, we welcome the big interest to the Moscow event seen in the African continent and beyond. The Russia-Africa forum is a world-scale event, no cap."

European countries "have cut themselves off from cooperating with Russia of their own volition."

Western colonial instincts and protests in Europe

Instead of criticizing the cooperation between Russia and Africa, France should focus on resolving its domestic situation: "I recommend that our French colleagues find a way to quickly remove all trash from the streets of Paris and other cities, wash away graffiti from monuments, and compensate businesses of all sizes for the damage they suffered as a result of protests."

Western countries cannot get over the loss of territories, which "they once considered subordinate to them out of colonial domination, nor can they accept the sovereign decision of African states and people to seek partners around the world who are willing to cooperate equally."

"This is where the events in London and Paris come from; these are their colonial instincts speaking."

"It is high time to think about what has led to these events and what domestic tensions in these countries are provoking their populations to take such drastic measures to express their protest. This is what people should be doing."