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The Russian Foreign Minister also slammed the UN for its role in the conflict.
The Russian Foreign Minister also slammed the UN for its role in the conflict.
What is happening?
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on Wednesday that European nations are pressuring the United States to abandon diplomatic efforts with Moscow over the Ukraine war.
Return to confrontation
Speaking at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, Lavrov alleged that the goal is to shift responsibility for the war onto U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The Europeans and the Ukrainian regime are trying to convince (US President) Donald Trump to abandon his mediation efforts and return to confrontation with Russia,” Lavrov said.
From Biden’s War to Trump’s War?
Lavrov framed the alleged maneuvering as an attempt to politicize the conflict ahead of the U.S. elections.
“In essence, it is turning Biden’s war into Trump’s war,” he stated.
No place for Europe at negotiating table
He accused European powers of seeking a seat at the negotiating table while pursuing a hardline agenda focused on Russia’s strategic defeat.
“Of course, they have no place at the negotiating table,” Lavrov added during a televised speech.
Trump threatens sanctions—but only if NATO aligns
Trump, who is widely seen as a potential Republican frontrunner in the next U.S. presidential election, recently warned NATO members that he would only support new sanctions on Russia under specific conditions.
“I am prepared to impose significant sanctions on Russia when all NATO nations agree and begin to do the same and when all NATO nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump wrote on social media.
Some NATO members still importing Russian oil
Despite broad Western sanctions since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, countries like Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia continue to import Russian crude.
This divergence in policy has led to tensions within NATO and given Trump leverage to withhold further action against Moscow unless all allies act in unison.
Moscow demands “indivisible security” for Ukraine
Lavrov reiterated that Russia will only consider security guarantees for Ukraine that uphold the principle of “indivisible security”—a concept asserting that no country should enhance its security at the expense of another.
“That’s exactly what the West is trying to do in Ukraine now, trying to save it from total disaster,” he argued.
Slams the UN’s role in the conflict
In a sharp rebuke, Lavrov accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of aligning with the West.
He claimed Guterres is “whitewashing” the actions of the Ukrainian government and failing to address what Moscow describes as “serious violations” of humanitarian law by Kiev.
Lavrov will address the UN General Assembly next week on Putin’s behalf.
UN Chief sees little hope for peace
Guterres painted a bleak picture of the conflict’s trajectory, stating on Tuesday that the chances of a swift resolution remain slim.
“I am not optimistic about any short-term progress in the peace process in Ukraine,” he told reporters in New York.
A stalemate with no end in sight
Guterres highlighted the entrenched positions of both sides: Ukraine insists on preserving its territorial integrity, while Russia continues to occupy large swaths of Ukrainian territory.
“I fear that we could witness this war continuing for at least a while,” he warned, reflecting a widespread pessimism about near-term diplomacy.
