- Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova contends that Western calls for negotiation participation are inconsistent with their refusal to engage with Russian viewpoints, citing media censorship as a key obstacle.
MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticized European countries for persistently demanding inclusion in Ukraine peace negotiations while simultaneously disregarding Moscow’s official stance on the conflict.
In an interview with blogger Pavel Kostin, Zakharova stated that senior political figures from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and European Union institutions have spent the past year vocally asserting their right to participate in any future settlement talks. She referenced widely publicized statements by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as evidence of this concerted push.
“One would naturally assume that a desire to join the negotiating table implies a readiness to consider the positions of all parties involved,” Zakharova remarked. “Without that fundamental willingness, the very purpose of convening such discussions becomes meaningless.”
The Russian diplomat further accused Western powers of systematically suppressing alternative narratives. As an illustrative example, she cited the decision by Politico in June not to publish an interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the Ukraine crisis.
“Their concern was not with the author’s identity or whether the individual was subject to sanctions,” Zakharova said. “It was that the content could potentially serve as an antidote to their own narrative.”
Zakharova’s comments underscore deepening divisions over the framework and composition of any prospective peace process, as Moscow continues to challenge what it views as a one-sided Western approach to diplomatic engagement.
BY: The Times Union – TASS
