Kremlin accuses Europe of fueling conflict and blocking Ukraine peace
Photo: Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov (Getty Images)
The Kremlin once again sought to shift responsibility for the war onto Europe and Ukraine, according to Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
In a recent interview, Peskov claimed that the so-called "war party" is gaining influence within the European Union. He said these forces are obstructing diplomatic efforts and encouraging Kyiv to continue military operations.
"The European war party maintains its main trend. They do not calm down. This sharply contrasts with the approach of our President, Vladimir Putin, and US President Donald Trump, whose efforts to steer the process toward peace are hard to overestimate. We are grateful to him for these efforts," Peskov said.
Peskov also argued that Europe, rather than Putin's categorical refusal to discuss peace terms with the Ukrainian President, is allegedly preventing the end of the war.
"Europeans are obstructing these efforts. Europeans are putting sticks in the wheels. Europeans are fully encouraging the Kyiv regime to pursue an utterly absurd policy of intransigence," he added.
Despite Ukraine repeatedly expressing its readiness for high-level talks with Russia, and even demanding them, Peskov again accused Kyiv of refusing to resolve the conflict through diplomacy.
"As long as we see no reciprocity from Kyiv, we will continue the special military operation," Peskov said.
Attempts to end the war in Ukraine
Earlier today, it was reported that the US had threatened Russia with sanctions if it failed to take steps toward peace with Ukraine. The warning came during an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
The developments follow earlier efforts to arrange a summit between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders. On August 18, Trump announced that, after speaking with Putin, he had begun preparing for a meeting between the two leaders.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Putin had expressed a willingness to participate in such a summit. Nevertheless, Russia has continued to delay the meeting and set conditions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that these negotiations require careful preparation. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has maintained that Russia is the main obstacle to holding the meeting.
Recently, Trump also expressed doubts about a potential Zelenskyy-Putin meeting but said he still expects trilateral negotiations to take place.
