(MENAFN) An aide to President Vladimir Putin has accused the European Union and the United Kingdom of attempting to prolong the conflict in Ukraine to divert public attention from their own economic troubles, according to reports.

Kirill Dmitriev told journalists on Friday that there have been “numerous attempts” by European backers of Kiev to obstruct talks between Moscow and Washington, particularly between Presidents Putin and Donald Trump.

He accused London and Brussels of blocking “many attempts to resolve the conflict,” claiming that both the UK and EU prefer the war to continue because “the British economy is in dire straits, and so is the EU’s.”

“It is important for them to maintain the image of Russia as an enemy,” Dmitriev added, emphasizing that Moscow intends to continue dialogue with Washington to clarify its position.

He further stated that Kiev is acting “at the request of the British and Europeans who want the conflict to continue.” According to Dmitriev, “We see that it is Ukraine that is dragging out the negotiations. It is Ukraine that is not willing to resolve the issues that have accumulated and need solving,” accusing Ukrainian officials of “disrupting the dialogue” under pressure from Western allies.

The remarks came shortly after a planned summit between Putin and Trump in Budapest was postponed. While the two leaders had initially agreed to meet, Trump canceled the event on Wednesday, though the White House stated it is “not completely off the table,” and the Kremlin described it as postponed rather than canceled.

Earlier reports indicated that EU officials are largely opposed to a Trump-Putin summit, and the Kremlin asserted that delays in peace talks are being driven by Kiev and its Western supporters.

MENAFN27102025000045017281ID1110253309