Politics1 min read

'No intention to attack Europe': Russia rejects fears of military confrontation

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The diplomatic statements precede two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi initiated under peace efforts suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump. While Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky leads the Russian delegation, Moscow has actively opposed the participation of European officials from France, Germany, and the European Commission. Consequently, Ukrainian delegation leader Rustem Umerov plans to hold separate briefings to maintain coordination with European allies. Substantial disagreements persist, as Moscow demands the full surrender of the Donbas region while Kyiv refuses territorial concessions.

Key points

  • Moscow continues to demand full control of the Donbas region as an essential condition fo…: Moscow continues to demand full control of the Donbas region as an essential condition for any diplomatic settlement.
  • Kyiv insists it will not consider ceding territory without high-level leadership talks an…: Kyiv insists it will not consider ceding territory without high-level leadership talks and robust security guarantees.
  • Ukraine plans separate briefings for France, Germany, and the European Commission after M…: Ukraine plans separate briefings for France, Germany, and the European Commission after Moscow opposed European attendance at the Abu Dhabi summit.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Russia has no intention or plans to attack European countries and has no reason to do so, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday, rejecting Western discussions about a possible military conflict between Moscow and Europe.

Speaking at a roundtable titled “Militarization of Europe: What Next?”, held under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Ryabkov said Western countries were discussing the prospect of a military confrontation as though it were “almost predetermined and inevitable”.

According to a statement published on the Russian foreign ministry's website, Ryabkov said Moscow posed no threat to any country and had no plans to attack anyone in the near, medium or long term.

However, he warned that Russia would be “forced to respond” if subjected to aggression.

Russia calls for dialogue with European countries

Ryabkov also accused some European governments of having no genuine intention of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said the conflict could have been resolved while taking into account the legitimate interests of all parties, but alleged that the West had pushed Ukraine to abandon…

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