The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed to the role of France in countering the achievement of peace in Ukraine.

France is one of the key European Union (EU) countries hindering the achievement of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. This was announced on May 1 by Russian Ambassador to Paris Alexei Meshkov.

"France, within the framework of the European Union, is one of the main engines of activities aimed at preventing long—term peace between Russia and Ukraine," he told RIA Novosti.

The diplomat noted that the French authorities are taking steps to disrupt the agreements on this issue.

To be continued: Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine in the Middle East

Saudi Arabia could become one of the possible sites, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier in the day, the diplomat also warned that every Russian citizen should assess all possible risks, including potential threats from Europol, before traveling to France. For this reason, he urged Russians to be extremely careful. Meshkov also said that the bank cards of the Russian Embassy in Paris for fuel payments were blocked, which is a precedent violating the Vienna Convention.