Kremlin Says France Cannot Mediate In Ukraine Conflict

Russia does not see France as a neutral party in the Ukrainian conflict and will not accept its mediation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd June, 2023) Russia does not see France as a neutral party in the Ukrainian conflict and will not accept its mediation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that French President Emmanuel Macron had offered his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to host a Ukraine peace summit in Paris. France and its NATO partners have been providing Kiev with military assistance for over a year.

"In this respect, France can hardly be considered a neutral state that can claim the role of a moderator, like Brazil, China, African countries or the Vatican did.

France cannot do it anymore because France is a de facto active participant in the conflict and has sided with Ukraine," Peskov told a Rossiya 1 broadcaster.

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin remained open to contacts on the Ukrainian conflict that would allow Russia to achieve its goals by non-military means.