Russia says EU dialogue hinges on respect for Moscow's interests

Prospects for dialogue between Russia and the EU depend on whether Brussels is willing to revise its anti-Russia policy and fully respect Moscow's interests, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said.

Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department of European affairs, stressed that Russia has never shunned dialogue with the EU and consistently advocates resolving bilateral and regional disputes through diplomatic means, Russian media reported on Tuesday.

The comments come as Ukraine has been actively pushing to draw the EU into the negotiation process for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He added that the European side remains unprepared to engage in negotiations over the Ukraine issue. The EU has failed to resume formal dialogue with Russia and has yet to reach internal consensus on potential negotiation frameworks and topics, hindering substantive diplomatic progress, Maslennikov said.

Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large, echoed the stance, saying Moscow has seen no viable peace proposals from Brussels to settle the Ukraine conflict.

(Cover: Firefighters extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in the center of Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on May 25, 2026. /VCG)