In brief

• Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov rejected European demands for a ceasefire before talks and said Europe is joining the process too late.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow will engage Europeans only if they have a negotiator and a genuine commitment to peace.
• Peskov denied that Russia demanded at Abu Dhabi that current NATO members leave the alliance.

Moscow rejects European demands

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised European countries that want a seat at the table on ending the war in Ukraine ("Поїзд відходить": Лавров висловився про участь Європи в переговорах щодо України – TSN). He singled out European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has called for a ceasefire before any discussion of European security, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who has said Europe will not back a settlement that takes Russian interests into account. Lavrov called such positions entirely fruitless and said European states were probably trying to join late, "as the train leaves". He also said the war aims set earlier by Vladimir Putin remain unchanged.

Peskov sets conditions

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would be ready to talk with Europeans if they have someone authorised to negotiate and a real willingness to help the peace process (Песков отрицает наличие требования о выходе новых членов из НАТО – Reform.news). Only after Moscow understands their actual intentions, he said, could a decision on a wider-format dialogue on Ukraine be taken.

Context from Abu Dhabi

The latest round of contacts in Abu Dhabi, involving Kyiv, Washington and Moscow, did not produce a significant breakthrough. Europe, despite providing large sums of aid to Kyiv, still has not settled who should represent its interests with the Kremlin. Moscow's refusal to see Europeans at the table remains one of the main obstacles.

Peskov also denied that Russia had demanded at Abu Dhabi that current NATO members leave the alliance. He said the issue was not raised, responding to a report by the German newspaper Bild that cited unnamed sources and mentioned a Finnish exit from NATO.

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• Lavrov says Russia will not accept immediate ceasefire, accuses Europe of buying Kyiv time