The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on April 25 that actions by France and other European Union countries are aimed at disrupting any positive progress toward resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
In a statement, the ministry said: “Neither France nor other EU countries are currently involved in the negotiation process. Moreover, all the actions of Paris and other Europeans are designed to disrupt any positive progress on the Ukrainian crisis within trilateral contacts involving the United States.”
The ministry criticized French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere’s proposal for a settlement based on a “coalition of the willing” that would exclusively serve the interests of the Kiev regime. It added that such an “undiplomatic” approach, completely detached from ground realities, is doomed to failure.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Western policies as declaring open war on Russia and using the Kiev regime as a geopolitical battering ram. On the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Europe cannot simultaneously support fighting in Ukraine and participate in peace talks. She also called Western discussions about peace camouflage for rearmament of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
