Russia (Washington Insider) – Russian FM Sergey
Lavrov criticised EU leaders over China-India ties with Moscow, reaffirmed
Ukraine peace talks with the US, mentioned Macron-Putin dialogue, and discussed
Egypt-Russia projects with Abdelatty.
As Burc Eruygur on AA Europe News reported, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, Dec 19, 2025, criticised European Union
leaders for their remarks against China and India over continued contacts with
Moscow.
He described the comments as rude and lacking diplomatic
respect. Lavrov spoke during a joint press conference with Egypt’s foreign
minister. He told European leaders not to interfere in talks between Russia and
the United States on the Ukraine conflict.
“Those current so-called leaders in the EU who
publicly state why China communicates with Russia, or why India communicates
with Russia–these are rude, ill-mannered people,”
Lavrov said during a joint press conference with Bad
Abdelatty following bilateral talks in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
Advising Europe
“not to interfere”
in the dialogue between Russia and the US concerning
Ukraine, Lavrov said Moscow’s position on a Ukraine settlement is not subject
to any
“opportunistic considerations or fluctuations.”
What is Lavrov saying about the Ukraine talks and the
Macron-Putin dialogue?
Lavrov said Russia’s position on a possible settlement is
firm and does not change due to political pressure. He added that dialogue with
Washington is based on a clear understanding reached during a summit in Alaska
in August.
“We see no reason why the US administration would
deviate from this agreed-upon position. Especially since these understandings
are directly based on the proposals of (US President) Donald Trump and his
negotiating team,”
he further said.
According to Lavrov, many countries outside the Western bloc
are following these talks closely and hope they will lead to progress toward
ending the conflict.
“In this work with the Americans, we feel the
support of the global majority,”
he went on to say, adding that Moscow appreciates that the
agreements reached in Alaska
“remain in force.”
The comments came as diplomatic activity around Ukraine
increased. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, Dec 18,
2025, that new talks with American officials would take place in the United
States on Friday, Dec 19, 2025, and Saturday, Dec 20, 2025.
Later, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow
is preparing further contacts with Washington. He said discussions on a revised
peace plan have been ongoing for the past 2 weeks.
Peskov noted that Russia remains involved in shaping
proposals linked to a political solution. The statements point to a new phase
of diplomacy, with Russia maintaining firm rhetoric toward Europe while
continuing cautious engagement with the United States and Ukraine.
Discussions on a possible solution to the Ukraine conflict
were based on a draft 28-point proposal. The plan reportedly asked Ukraine to
make major concessions. These included recognising Russian control over some
territories, limiting its military forces, and agreeing not to join NATO.
“I think that we, Europeans and Ukrainians, have a
vested interest in finding a framework to properly re-engage in this
discussion. Otherwise, we’ll be talking amongst ourselves with negotiators who
will then deal with the Russians alone. That’s not ideal,”
Lavrov said.
“If he (Macron) is ready to talk, then our president
has repeatedly emphasised that he is always open to contact, but with the
understanding that these will be polite people with some basic decency,”
he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press
conference that President Vladimir Putin is ready to talk directly with French
President Emmanuel Macron. His remarks followed Macron’s comments after an EU
summit in Brussels, where the French leader said it may become useful again to
speak with Putin.
Lavrov also spoke
about his meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. He said they
discussed many bilateral and regional issues. These included expanding direct
flights, creating stable food and fuel supply chains, and reviewing the situation
in Sudan and Libya.
Abdelatty said Egypt and Russia aim to speed up major joint
projects, including the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant and an industrial zone in
the Suez Canal region. He added that relations between the 2 countries have
grown strongly in recent years.
“Regarding the Ukrainian crisis … Egypt is ready
to continue to contribute to any international efforts to bring the parties’
positions closer together and support the political path to achieving
peace,”
he added.
The latest diplomatic moves come as efforts to end the
Ukraine war continue more than 3 years after Russia launched its full‑scale
invasion on February 24, 2022. Talks between Moscow, Kyiv and Western countries
have been held in places such as Istanbul, Paris and Geneva, but none have
produced a lasting deal.
After 3 years of intermittent warfare between Ukraine and
Russia, diplomatic activity continues to develop to achieve peace. Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, and since then, several rounds
of negotiations have taken place between Moscow, Kyiv, and their Western
partners in various locations (Istanbul, Paris, and Geneva). However, each
effort at negotiation has thus far fallen short of reaching an agreement that
could serve as a basis for future relations.
