Russia said that a French and British peace initiative on Ukraine was an attempt to buy time for Kyiv and prevent its military collapse.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated this on Thursday.
“In reality, we are dealing with an open desire to secure a respite at any cost for the Kyiv regime in its death throes, for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and to prevent the collapse of the front,” she said.
According to her, Moscow was interested in a definitive settlement to end the war, not a pause that, she argued, would benefit Ukraine.
“Firm agreements on a final settlement are necessary. Without them, any respite or regrouping is absolutely unacceptable, as it will lead to the exact opposite result,” she added.
Recall that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said over the weekend that London and Paris would work on a peace deal with Ukraine and present it to U.S. President Donald Trump.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the two countries were proposing a partial one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine.
France and Britain have also indicated their willingness to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a settlement.
Moscow has repeatedly and emphatically rejected the idea that troops from NATO countries could play such a role.