Russia denies European peacekeepers in Ukraine “any options”

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow could not contemplate “any options” for sending European peacekeepers to Ukraine, claiming that the notion was intended to exacerbate the crisis and make de-escalation more difficult.

During discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron defended the idea, stating that troops might be sent in to make sure any peace agreement was upheld. Although the Kremlin later stated that Russian opposition to the concept remained unaltered, Trump claimed that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin both agreed with it.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that he would be willing to send British troops to Ukraine as part of any postwar peacekeeping mission. Starmer and Trump are scheduled to meet on Thursday.

However, Lavrov, who has previously referred to the proposal as “unacceptable,” clarified Moscow’s opposition to any deployment in some of the most forceful language yet, eliminating any uncertainty following Trump’s implication that Putin had changed his mind.

During a trip to Qatar, he stated, “We cannot consider any options” about European peacekeepers.

“Trump stated that only with both parties’ approval could a decision about the deployment of peacekeeping forces be made. 

presumably alluding to Ukraine and the United States. “No one has questioned us about this,” Lavrov, who some Western diplomats refer him as “Doctor No” due to his tendency to constantly express Moscow’s disapproval of different Western projects, said.

“This approach, which is being imposed by the Europeans, primarily France, but also the British, is aimed at what I just mentioned: to further fuel the conflict and to stop any attempts to calm it down.”

Lavrov doubled down on Russia’s maximalist stance toward any possible solution over Ukraine, saying Moscow still wants complete authority over four areas it claims as its own in any agreement, even in the face of Ukrainian protests.

Indicating Moscow’s desire in a solution that would make the remaining Ukrainian territory less antagonistic toward Russia and Russian speakers, he said that there would not be a settlement that left the two sides facing out against one another along a line of contact.

Ukraine has always refuted Russian claims that it has suppressed Russian speakers and ethnic Russians on its soil.

As a result, we cannot get away with using such basic technical solutions as sending troops. “We must discuss the underlying causes of the conflict,” Lavrov stated.

“The root causes were the (attempted) dragging of Ukraine into NATO and the total eradication of the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people.”