Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would not agree to European countries’ demands for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine without first determining what steps would follow. He also mocked European representatives who arrived in Abu Dhabi but are not directly participating in the trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia.
This was reported by “Interfax” and Bild.
Speaking to journalists on November 10, Lavrov claimed that European countries were insisting on an immediate ceasefire to give Ukraine time to rebuild its military capabilities.
“All we hear now from Brussels and other European Union capitals is a demand for an immediate ceasefire. It is the same old logic: they absolutely need to buy time for their clients in the Kyiv regime and use that time to somehow recover the military losses it has suffered. We will not agree to this, as we have repeatedly stated,” Lavrov said.
According to him, Moscow considers it reasonable to first establish the parameters of a future security architecture before moving on to a settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The idea of defining clear parameters for the future security architecture and only then proceeding to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict itself is absolutely reasonable,” the minister said.
At the same time, he stressed that Russia would not agree to a truce without understanding what would happen next.
“We will not agree to another truce, another ceasefire, whatever it may be called, without understanding what comes next,” Lavrov said.
The Russian foreign minister also claimed that European countries were planning to deploy stabilization forces to Ukrainian-controlled territory following a ceasefire.
“We will not allow this concept to be implemented,” he said.
Lavrov separately commented on the presence of European representatives in Abu Dhabi, where trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia began on November 10.
“As for the Europeans’ participation, well, they flew to Abu Dhabi, so let them sit in their hotel,” the Russian minister said.
According to Lavrov, US negotiators had informed the Russian side in advance of their intention to hold consultations with European representatives.
Representatives of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the European Union and NATO arrived in Abu Dhabi, but they are not directly participating in the main trilateral negotiations.
Jared Kushner, who represents the US side, said European partners would, for now, only be briefed on the progress of the negotiations. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed dissatisfaction with this format and demanded that Europe be given a seat at the negotiating table.
