The Kremlin stated that security guarantees for Ukraine cannot be agreed upon without Russia’s involvement. This was Moscow’s response on Tuesday to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz‘s assertion that Russia should not participate in forming such agreements.
Merz remarked on Monday that the issue of security guarantees is a key point in efforts to end the war, which has been ongoing for 4.5 years, and should be resolved by Ukraine and its partners, not by Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described this position as “a dead end.”
Kremlin’s Statement and Merz’s Position
“It is impossible to develop security guarantees without Russia’s involvement. If European countries continue to insist on this position, it will effectively exclude their participation in the settlement process,” Peskov told journalists.
Ukraine emphasizes that it needs security guarantees from Western partners to protect against potential future attacks by Russia, whose troops currently control about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Reaction to EU Sanctions Against VK
In response to a separate question, Peskov called the European Union’s sanctions against the technology company VK, introduced on Monday, “completely absurd.” The company VK is the developer of the Russian messenger MAX. Critics accuse the Russian authorities of using the application as a surveillance tool, a claim the Kremlin denies. According to Peskov, the EU sanctions will not impact the company’s further development.
Source: The Straits Times
