Moscow, Russia – The Russian Foreign Ministry asserted that Moscow sees no genuine willingness on the part of France to seek negotiated solutions to the Ukrainian crisis. It maintained that French positions reflect continued support for a military approach, rather than a push for a political settlement to the conflict.
Russian criticism of the French position
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that what Paris describes as signals of negotiations are nothing more than an attempt to impose conditions on Russia. She also suggested it might be an attempt to give Ukrainian forces an opportunity to regroup.
She added that Moscow sees no genuine desire in the French position to seek negotiated solutions or to consider Russian interests. She emphasized that Paris’s actions are inconsistent with its stated calls for dialogue.
Refusal to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine
Zakharova reiterated Russia’s rejection of the deployment of forces belonging to the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” inside Ukrainian territory.
She affirmed that Moscow would treat such forces as legitimate military targets if they were deployed.
The “Coalition of the Willing” comprises a number of countries supporting Ukraine, which are exploring ways to bolster military and security support for Kyiv.
The Kremlin: The coalition is pushing for a continuation of the war
For his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the countries in the “coalition of the willing” are adopting an approach that perpetuates the war. He also clarified that this approach does not reflect a genuine desire for peace.
The Russian statements come as international efforts continue to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
This is happening amidst ongoing disagreements between Moscow and Western countries regarding how to end the conflict.
