RUSSIA WANTS DIALOGUE AFTER EU FAILS TO AGREE ON PUTIN SUMMIT

Russia has reiterated its offer for dialogue with the European Union, after a number of EU leaders expressed opposition to holding high-level talks with President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Brussels, Ulf Mauder and Ella Joyner reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Some EU members like Poland and the Baltic states had spoken out against dialogue with Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted on Friday.

"I reiterate that we regret this turn of events," Peskov said, according to news agency Interfax. Putin remained interested in the dialogue between Moscow and Brussels, Peskov added.

EU-Russian relations have been on the decline ever since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The poisoning and then this year's imprisonment of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny sent the relationship into a tailspin.

Tensions over Belarus, particularly its leader Alexander Lukashenko, have only compounded matters.

On Thursday, the 27 EU leaders agreed to toughen their stance towards Russia and threatened harsher sanctions.

But they could not agree on a proposal pushed by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to set up a summit with Russia.

The EU is divided roughly into two camps: One with larger member states which see normal relations with Russia as a necessity, and another composed of smaller states close to Russia's border that are warier of speaking to Putin. The Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia - are particularly vocal here.

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