Kremlin spokesman slams Europe for fueling Ukraine conflict, says Russia open to talks

Alsharq Tribune-Otaify 

European countries are doing everything in their power to encourage Kiev to continue the war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"From our perspective, the key factor is the stance of European countries, they are sparing no effort to encourage the Kiev regime to keep fighting, and by doing so, they are effectively preventing the Kiev regime from engaging in negotiations," Peskov said, adding that Europe's role in escalating the war situation with Russia has been maximized.

He noted that Kiev would have acted differently if it had not been emboldened by Europe.

The spokesman added that Europe is advocating for the construction of new walls, though history has long proven the absurdity of such actions.

"They (European countries) are trying to portray Russia as an evil force. That is why they plan to drastically increase their military spending," Peskov emphasized.

Peskov stated that Europe is obstructing efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.

He said that U.S. President Donald Trump's peace efforts to resolve the Ukraine situation have hit a wall with "European militarism," adding that such efforts are nonetheless important. "Washington maintains the political will to work toward bringing the situation in Ukraine into a political and diplomatic framework, and Russia takes this fact into account," he said.

Peskov noted that Russia is now working to safeguard the interests of future generations, adding that the country will continue its special military operation while remaining open to negotiations.

In August, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the U.S. state of Alaska, with progress made but no deal reached on the Ukraine crisis.

Peskov said Sunday that Putin is willing to meet with Trump in Moscow, but the decision rests with the U.S. side.