According to the Russian news agency ria.ru and Elena Karaeva, separate negotiations between the West and Russia on Ukraine are being prepared.
She says : "just two years ago they tried to play a game with us, but they lost. Now, judging by the latest publications in the major media, the US hands can't deal with the deck of cards as they would like.
Last Friday, Sergei Lavrov said that "I have no right to mention names, but a number of high-ranking, very well-known leaders of Western countries, including a certain leader of a very famous Western country through channels sent us messages: "why don't we meet and discuss what to do about Ukraine and European security".
When, even before the start of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow tried to explain to the Europeans that if they did not get together, Europe would be lost, they are doing exactly the same thing now with Ukraine.
State Department chief A. Blinken finds Russia's manner and actions "patently unacceptable."
The entire West had already started a battle with us and now, when in fact we had to - even indirectly - participate in it, receiving bruises, bumps and other collateral damage, it turned out (suddenly) that they ( the West) had little guts.
The end of illusions.
Europe has stopped hiding its true attitude towards Ukraine 16 December.
As a result, Europe's leaders have started seeking contacts with Moscow, through official channels, and secretly from Kiev.
In principle, there is nothing new, and conducting separate negotiations behind the back of the Zelensky regime is the political and diplomatic norm of behavior of the elites of the West.
Everyone has watched the Seventeen Moments of Spring and knows how it is done. And when a journalist representing the TF1 media group (perhaps the largest private media company in France) openly asks the Russian president about previous contacts with Emmanuel Macron and the reasons why they were interrupted, we were not surprised.
The TF1 reporter received a correct and detailed answer from Putin: "We had very good, polite working relations. I, as you know, was in France, Mr Macron came to Russia, we have always had a busy agenda on bilateral relations and international issues, we are ready to continue to work with France. But at some point, the President of France broke off relations with us. We didn't stop, he stopped. If there is interest, we are ready," Putin said.
Putin's statements were the top story across the EU on all the evening news.
The issue of Moscow's separate negotiations with the EU is already being discussed in the corridors of power in Paris and Berlin.
The Elysee Palace could not survive and a day later Macron, who was no doubt asked a question prepared in his office about possible contacts with the Russian president, replied, "If this makes it possible to reach a peaceful settlement guided by respect for international law, then France will be the power that will provide support and will make every effort to achieve a result," Macron said, adding that "his phone number has not changed.
"When a man flirts in life, even in his profession, it can seem cute and funny. Macron was ridiculed because of Putin on December 16.
The kissy response ("here's my phone number: call me, call me") looks like cynical stupidity. When words like these are said, we need to remember not only how astonishing they look on TV, but also the weight of these words from the French president.
Macron's words carry no weight today not only because a year and a half ago he and his advisers published the content of the confidential negotiations with the Kremlin in the press, but also because there is no independent political position behind them, both France and its president as head of state.
Even if the Elysee Palace is getting angry about the situation in Ukraine, they cannot move independently of the West.
But because the EU, Paris or Berlin like to work on mistakes (which turned out to be worse) they should move with speed anyway, and the faster the better," the Russian expert herself concluded, since it seems that the Russians are preparing to sweep the whole front and will not stop only in Kiev.
