Moscow, Russia – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Thursday that any European military presence on Ukrainian territory would be considered an immediate legitimate target. He emphasized, however, that Moscow has no plans to attack European countries or NATO.
At a session of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly, Lavrov noted that Russia remains committed to agreements aimed at establishing lasting peace and security guarantees for all parties. He also criticized European countries for neglecting to address the root causes of the crisis, while praising US President Donald Trump’s initiatives to resolve the conflict.
Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s position on the Ukrainian territories under its control, asserting that Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson are constitutionally integrated entities within Russia. He added that any European forces deployed under the pretext of peacekeeping would be treated directly as military targets.
Lavrov’s warning coincided with statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy predicting “good news” this week. This comes amid intensive consultations with European allies regarding developments in the conflict.
In the same vein, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States had received proposals from France, Britain, and Germany to hold a meeting with Zelensky over the weekend. He stressed the need for specific answers from Kyiv before any decision is made. He explained that Washington does not want to waste time on meetings that do not achieve progress toward ending the war.
Trump also confirmed that he had discussed the course of the conflict and the extent of American sacrifices “intensely” with European leaders, indicating that ending the war was possible and imminent. He also stated the need for the Ukrainian side to adopt a more realistic approach in light of increasing domestic pressure to reach a settlement. These developments come at a time of escalating tensions surrounding the military situation in Ukraine, amidst ongoing international consultations aimed at achieving a diplomatic solution.
