Europe never intended peace in Ukraine, but is fueling war by arming Kyiv – Russian government

Europe never intended peace in Ukraine, but is fueling war by arming Kyiv – Russian government

[Moscow, July 26, 2025] — The spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated on Saturday that peace talks or any form of resolution in Ukraine were never the real goal of Western nations. Instead, she accused the West of prolonging the war by continuously supplying weapons to Kyiv.

This was Zakharova’s first comment following direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials. In a statement to Russia’s state news agency TASS, she said, “If the West truly wanted peace, it would stop supplying weapons to Kyiv.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed this criticism. He said that while Moscow remains open to negotiations, achieving Russia’s military and political objectives remains its top priority.

"Our goals are very clear. The key issue is achieving those goals," Peskov said on state television. He added that President Vladimir Putin is committed to a peaceful resolution, but acknowledged that it would be a “long and difficult” process.

Russia has long insisted that any peace agreement must include the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions that Russia occupied and annexed in 2022—though it does not fully control all of them. Additionally, Moscow demands that Ukraine abandon its aspirations to join NATO and accept strict limitations on its military power. These terms have been outright rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Saturday that Ukraine has proposed a new round of peace talks. While Russian state media has confirmed that negotiations are ongoing, no specific date has been agreed upon yet. Istanbul is being considered as a potential venue.

These diplomatic developments come amid growing pressure from the United States. President Donald Trump recently warned Moscow that if it does not agree to a ceasefire within 50 days, Russia would face “severe tariffs.” He also announced that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with upgraded Patriot air defense systems and would work with European allies to replenish Ukraine’s arms stockpiles with U.S.-made weapons.

Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, fighting on the ground continues. Russia has intensified its drone attacks recently. Ukraine reported that Russia launched 57 Shahed drones overnight on Saturday, of which 18 were intercepted, while another seven disappeared from radar.

Drone strikes have caused civilian casualties in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions. In Zaporizhzhia, two women were injured when a drone hit a house, while in Kharkiv, another residential building was struck, injuring two more civilians, according to local officials.