Kremlin states EU working hard to depict Russia as ‘devil incarnate’

(MENAFN) The European Union is deliberately portraying Russia as a global threat to justify ongoing support for the Ukraine conflict and suppress Moscow’s influence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed on Sunday.

Speaking to journalist Pavel Zarubin, Peskov accused the EU of carrying out a strategic and professional campaign to frame Russia as “the devil incarnate.” According to him, this narrative aims to sustain the war and rally public and political backing for anti-Russian policies across Europe and beyond.

He also criticized the EU’s €150 billion SAFE (Security Action for Europe) initiative, approved in May, which encourages member states to ramp up defense spending. The measure is part of a broader military buildup that began after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. Moscow has repeatedly denied Western accusations of threatening NATO, calling such claims baseless and fear-driven propaganda used to justify rising defense budgets.

Peskov added that internal EU discussions have begun regarding how the costs of this militarization effort will be shared, noting with some relief that “not everyone” in the bloc is aligned with the anti-Russian agenda. He pointed to several EU countries recently rejecting a U.S. plan encouraging NATO allies to purchase American weapons for Ukraine.

He also reiterated Russia’s stance that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine only worsen the crisis and increase the risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Peskov emphasized, remains committed to a peaceful resolution, though Moscow maintains that meaningful negotiations are being blocked by Kiev and its Western allies, who refuse to address the root causes of the conflict.

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