Putin reminded the Europeans of their refusal to participate in the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict

Following a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, said that Europe and Ukraine should be involved in the negotiations between the USA and Russia. Commenting on the February 19 meeting of the Russian and American delegations in Riyadh, Putin called hysteria on the issue inappropriate. He recalled that the Europeans were the first to refuse to participate in the settlement process.

Undivided weight: what the EU is willing to do to maintain influence in the Ukrainian issue

And why Russia does not want to see the Europeans at the negotiating table to resolve the conflict

"The Europeans stopped contacts with Russia. And the Ukrainian side forbade itself to negotiate, withdrew from the negotiation process in Istanbul, directly publicly announcing it. Well, we do not impose anything on anyone, we are ready, I have already said it a hundred times. If they want, they are welcome. Let them conduct these negotiations. And we will be ready to return to the negotiating table," the Russian leader said.

According to Putin, the United States is working with its European allies, and Russia will not interfere in Euro-Atlantic relations. Meanwhile, he noted that the Europeans themselves are to blame for what is happening now in this sphere.

"All European leaders, all without exception, actually directly interfered in the electoral process in the United States, it came to direct insults to one of the candidates <...> I am generally, frankly speaking, surprised at the restraint of the newly elected President of the United States Trump with regard to his allies, who behaved in such, to put it bluntly, boorish manner. He still behaves quite intelligently towards them," Putin continued.

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