The Kremlin accused European countries of working to prolong the war in Ukraine, warning that they could obstruct US initiatives aimed at settling the conflict, amid disputes over the fate of Russian assets frozen in Europe.
Peskov accuses Europeans of obstructing settlement efforts
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Europeans were “working in a different direction”, adding that they were “doing everything they can to prolong this war”, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. Peskov said Moscow believed European countries could obstruct US-led settlement efforts, amid differences between the two sides over the path towards ending the war in Ukraine.
He added that US President Donald Trump and American negotiators were working to advance a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis, while European countries, in his description, were adopting an approach different from the US path. The Kremlin spokesman linked Moscow’s concerns about European obstruction to the issue of frozen Russian assets, saying there were risks related to Russia’s ability to recover assets held in Europe.
Peskov said Russia would continue working to recover those assets through legal channels and court proceedings, as reported by Interfax. The remarks come as diplomatic efforts related to the war continue, amid disagreements over the terms of a settlement and the future of Western support for Ukraine. The Kremlin has not announced a new international agreement or an agreed date for a negotiating meeting.
