Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin met in Moscow with the ambassadors of France, Germany, and Britain, telling them that their countries are pursuing a “destructive policy” with respect to the war in Ukraine.
The French ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere, told reporters outside the Russian Foreign Ministry building that the three-way meeting with Galuzin had been “a good discussion” and that a statement would be issued later.
The Moscow meeting came in the wake of a summit between the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street last Sunday. The three European leaders, who head an informal security coalition known as the E3 and are among Ukraine’s key backers, voiced support at that meeting for Zelensky’s push for a ceasefire.
Russia’s Narrative
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Galuzin presented the three diplomats with “an objective assessment of the destructive policy being pursued by their governments regarding the Ukrainian crisis, which aims to maximally encourage the Kyiv regime to continue the war against Russia on behalf of the so-called ‘Coalition of the Willing,’ at their own expense and with its direct support.”
Galuzin also “explained the core positions of the Russian side regarding the search for a political and diplomatic resolution to the conflict, grounded in addressing its root causes,” the ministry added.
At the Sunday meeting on Downing Street, the European leaders and Zelensky agreed that the current line of contact between Russian and Ukrainian forces should form the basis for negotiations, that Ukraine must receive legally binding security guarantees including the deployment of a multinational force, and that frozen Russian financial assets will remain blocked until Russia compensates Ukraine for war damages.
Putin’s Position
Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to hold a hardline stance on the war, but last week signaled that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace proposals could contribute to ending the hostilities.
Speaking to foreign journalists in St. Petersburg, Putin said he is willing to meet with European politicians but argued they are not suited to mediate an end to the war. “What kind of mediator can the European Union or individual member states be when they are directly supporting a country with which we are in armed conflict?” he said.
