Did France use confidential channels to talk to Moscow on Russia-Ukraine war without involving Kyiv?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday (December 26) claimed that France had attempted to engage in “dialogue” with Moscow on the Ukraine conflict without involving Kyiv. Paris has dismissed the claim swiftly, calling it “intemperate.”

Lavrov, speaking at a press conference, alleged that French officials had approached Moscow through confidential channels on multiple occasions, proposing talks on Ukraine. “Without Ukraine,” he emphasised, adding that Russia was “ready to listen.”

He did not provide specifics on when these overtures occurred or any further details about the alleged discussions.

France firmly denied the claim, with AFP quoting a diplomatic as saying that, “The Russian authorities are accustomed to making intemperate remarks aimed at exploiting a war of aggression for which they bear full responsibility.”

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The source reiterated that any negotiations must be determined by Ukraine, as the country under attack.

Western nations, including France, have consistently maintained that no decisions on Ukraine’s future can be made without its participation, maintaining a united front in support of Kyiv.

France has also raised the possibility of deploying Western troops to Ukraine to monitor any future ceasefire agreement, although such an idea remains in the early stages of consideration.

The discussion over potential peace talks comes as US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office next month. Trump has pledged to end the nearly three-year conflict but has not outlined a specific plan.

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Last week, on December 18, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to his Ukainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Macron expressed his wholehearted support “for the bereaved and all Ukrainian people” and assured Zelenskyy that Paris, with its European partners, “was making continued, increased support for Ukraine its absolute priority. It would continue giving Ukraine the means to defend itself and defeat the war of aggression waged by Russia for nearly three years now,” according to a press release by the French government.

With inputs from agencies