Initiative to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the summit with the leaders of the European Union is probably related to the meeting of the Russian and American leaders in Geneva. So, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reacted to the news of the EU proposal during a press conference, the broadcast of which was carried out on Facebook agency.
Lavrov noted that, apparently, the Geneva negotiations were perceived in Brussels as a signal to the fact that “now you can also show your independence a little.” He stressed that the Russian side is unknown by the details of the proposals of Germany and France, exactly as the reaction of other members of the EU.
At the same time, the Russian minister recalled that in the near future the European Union should adopt a new strategy against Russia, which will rely on three pillars: retention, deterrence and cooperation in areas interesting for the European Union. “If this philosophy underlies the initiative of the summit, it would be very interesting to see. How such a hypothetical event will open, immediately, it means, to follow. Well, and then deterrence. And how it all will be combined, while it is difficult to say,” – Noted Lavrov.
Earlier, the FINANCIAL Times edition reported that Germany and Russia called on the EU to a more dense interaction with Russia. In particular, some diplomats and the German Chancellor herself Angela Merkel offered to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the summit with the leaders of the European Union. The idea was supported by French President Emmanuel Makron.