Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that France has repeatedly appealed to Russia through closed channels, proposing that they establish a dialogue on the Russian-Ukrainian war without Ukraine's participation.

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. But is the reality different?

In a diplomatic hit-job, the Russian foreign minister also criticized Macron’s ideas on post-war peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.