MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky and the European NATO countries supporting him seek "escalation and bloodshed" rather than peace, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
"We regret to observe that some political forces in Europe continue to hinder the emerging process that could lead to a resolution in the future. The words ‘peace’ and ‘settlement’ now seem to upset them because their main goal is evidently to provoke escalation and violence," the diplomat noted.
According to Zakharova, Zelensky and the EU leaders backing him are accountable for the ongoing conflict. "[They] advocate for more weapon supplies, support terrorist actions, and are now even considering the option of so-called peacekeepers," she added. "You see, aside from legal and political assessments, there’s also common sense. Just think about it: the word ‘peacekeeper’ implies ‘peace.’ But look at what those in NATO capitals planning to send troops to Ukraine are saying. There are no statements about peace; for years, there’s been no talk of establishing peaceful conditions because their objectives are different. What are these objectives? We pointed that out at the beginning of the briefing: it’s about a militarization campaign worth one trillion euros," Zakharova elaborated.
In this regard, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman emphasized that the deployment of European peacekeepers would be unacceptable to Moscow, as it would involve them directly in the conflict with Russia. "For us, the presence of foreign troops, foreign bases, or so-called peacekeeping missions in Ukraine is unacceptable. These countries' involvement in a direct military conflict with our country would lead to a response from us using all available means," Zakharova concluded.