Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that European countries are “trying by all means” to obstruct diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, adding that they are encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to continue fighting despite their lack of financial resources.
Lavrov clarified that Moscow does not intend to wage war with Europe, emphasizing that “there are no such intentions.”
He added that Russia would respond to any moves to seize its frozen assets or to any potential deployment of European troops in Ukraine.
Lavrov noted that US President Donald Trump is “the only Western leader” who has begun to show an understanding of the causes of the conflict in Ukraine, adding that the proposals put forward by his envoy included guaranteeing the rights of minorities and religious freedoms in Ukraine, or “in what remains of it.”
Lavrov said that Moscow “appreciates” Trump’s willingness to engage in dialogue on Ukraine, adding that Russia and the United States have agreed to continue working toward a settlement of the conflict. He continued that Trump’s efforts to discuss the crisis were discussed during his envoy Vytkov’s visit to Moscow.
