Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, stated on Thursday that the European allies of Ukraine are merely seeking a “ceasefire and a respite” for the Ukrainian military and have no interest in addressing the “root causes” of the conflict.
He said that Moscow wants a deal that will result in
“strong, sustainable, long-term peace with security guarantees for all countries involved.”
He argued that speculation and false information about peace talks are currently being circulated to “complicate the search for solutions.”
What actions does Moscow warn Europe against taking?
Moreover, a day earlier, Lavrov warned on Wednesday that Russia will retaliate if European governments deploy soldiers to Ukraine or seize frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, according to Reuters.
He outlined Moscow’s position on the war and its conflict with the West in his speech to the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament. According to Reuters, Lavrov stated that while Russia does not intend to go to war with Europe, it is ready to take action if it believes Western nations are intensifying the conflict.
“We will respond to any hostile steps, including the deployment of European military contingents in Ukraine and the expropriation of Russian assets. And we are already prepared for this response,”
How does Russia view Trump’s approach to the conflict?
He also applauded President Donald Trump’s strategy for a potential settlement, calling him the
“only Western leader” who comprehends what he defined as the reasons the war was “inevitable.”
He said Russia respects Trump’s interest in dialogue but noted Trump is “not only in no hurry to lift, but is actually increasing” sanctions on Russia.
Why does Lavrov argue the West blocks peace negotiations?
The foreign minister also went on to accuse European nations of “artificially holding back” peace negotiations, while claiming that the West is “not united” on the matter of a settlement in Kyiv.
“This is once again confirmed by the events of recent days, when President Trump, in one of his interviews, fundamentally assessed Europe’s actions to artificially restrain agreements that could well have been reached on a Ukrainian settlement, ensuring the elimination of those very root causes that are the main obstacle on this path,”
said Lavrov.
