Russia says it will respond to potential European troop deployment in Ukraine, frozen assets

ISTANBUL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow will respond to the potential deployment of European troops in Ukraine, as well as the use of frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv.

Addressing the Federation Council, the country’s upper house of parliament, on issues of Russian foreign policy, Lavrov reaffirmed that Moscow has no intention of going to war with Europe.

“But, we will respond to any hostile steps, including the deployment of European military contingents in Ukraine and the expropriation of Russian assets. And we are already prepared for this response,” he said.

Lavrov touched on a settlement for the Russia-Ukraine war, defining US President Donald Trump as the “only Western leader” who is showing an “understanding of the reasons that made the war in Ukraine inevitable.”

He expressed Russia’s appreciation for Trump's commitment to dialogue to resolve the war through diplomatic means, but noted that the US president is “not only in no hurry to lift, but is actually increasing” sanctions on Moscow.

The foreign minister went on to accuse European countries of “artificially holding back” peace negotiations, while arguing that the West is “not united” on the issue of a settlement in Ukraine.

“This is once again confirmed by the events of recent days, when President Trump, in one of his interviews, fundamentally assessed Europe’s actions to artificially restrain agreements that could well have been reached on a Ukrainian settlement, ensuring the elimination of those very root causes that are the main obstacle on this path,” said Lavrov, without specifying to which interview he was referring.

Trump criticized European nations regarding their handling of the Ukraine war during an interview with Politico on Monday.

“They talk but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on,” said Trump, describing regional leaders as “weak” for wanting to be “politically correct” and expressing that he thinks “they don’t know what to do.”

Trump also said he intends to continue endorsing European political figures who share his views, even if it provokes pushback.

In response to Trump’s remarks, European Council President Antonio Costa urged the US to respect the bloc's domestic political life and democratic choices.

"If we are allies, we must act as such—and allies do not threaten to interfere in each other’s domestic political life and democratic choices," Costa said Monday at the Jacques Delors Institute’s annual conference in Paris.