Kremlin spokesperson states EU’s war party wants to ruin peace efforts

(MENAFN) The Kremlin has accused a European “war party” of attempting to derail diplomatic efforts spearheaded by the U.S. and Russia to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

European leaders, including the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron, have proposed sending a joint military contingent to Ukraine in a peacekeeping role if a ceasefire or peace agreement is reached. Moscow has consistently opposed any NATO troop presence in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that the European faction’s approach stands “in stark contrast to the approach pursued” by former U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He claimed that European actions are obstructing the peace process as part of a broader strategy to “contain” Russia.

Peskov also alleged that some NATO countries are encouraging Ukraine to refuse negotiations with Russia, a tactic he said “will do no good to the Kiev regime.” He emphasized that “Russia is still ready to settle the [conflict] by political-diplomatic means,” but warned that Kyiv must reciprocate for hostilities to end.

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that European nations “don’t want peace” in Ukraine, referencing their reaction to the recent Putin-Trump summit in Alaska. Meanwhile, Macron told reporters after a White House meeting with Trump, Zelensky, and several European leaders that Europe “will need to help Ukraine with boots on the ground.”

Several European countries, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Romania, and Croatia, have rejected participation in any such mission. Reports also indicate that a sizable portion of the EU population opposes sending troops into conflict zones, highlighting public resistance to deployments that could put soldiers at risk.

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