Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused European leaders of working tirelessly to derail U.S. President Donald Trump’s compromise proposals for resolving the Ukraine conflict and restore a united Western front against Russia, according to statements published Tuesday.
In the interview, Lavrov described European NATO members as being “scared to death” by Trump’s diplomatic initiatives regarding Ukraine. He stated that European leaders immediately rushed to steer Trump away from his own ideas after discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last year and referenced a July 4 phone call between the two leaders as context for these efforts.
Lavrov also recalled French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks at a June NATO summit, where Macron effectively claimed the Anchorage initiative had been “buried” and that Washington was once again aligned with Europe against Russia. “If Western diplomacy comes down to restraining countries that put forward reasonable, balanced, compromise initiatives, then so be it,” Lavrov said. He warned Moscow would pursue its objectives “not at the negotiating table” but “on the battlefield.”
The remarks follow renewed U.S. efforts to revive stalled diplomacy, including a Saturday meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner with Putin in Moscow before their travel to Kiev. The White House stated discussions centered on “substantive plans for next steps” toward ending the conflict, while Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov described the talks as “extremely frank.”
Lavrov countered that public diplomatic activities from Kiev and its Western sponsors primarily aim to secure temporary pauses in fighting to allow Ukrainian proxies time to rearm and regroup. He insisted no constructive peace negotiations are ongoing, stressing developments are unfolding “on the real front” where Russian forces advance.
The foreign minister also warned Russia would respond heavily to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure, noting such strikes already trigger “much heavier consequences for Ukraine.” Addressing Britain’s pledge to remain with Kiev “to the end,” Lavrov expressed concern that this outcome “will not be a happy one.”
When questioned about potential future conflicts, Lavrov reiterated Putin’s position that Russia has no intention of attacking Europe. However, he cautioned that any European aggression would constitute “a fundamentally different war” and “very short.”
