Russia accuses EU of “contradictions” in Ukraine peace conditions

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s outline of principles for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, calling Brussels’ position contradictory.

In a statement on her Telegram channel, Zakharova rejected von der Leyen’s three proposed conditions for negotiations: maintaining the size of Ukraine’s armed forces, preserving internationally recognised borders, and ensuring an EU role in overseeing reconstruction funds, Caliber.Az reports. 

Zakharova argued that the EU’s insistence that “borders cannot be changed by force” contradicts Western actions in the past, citing Kosovo as an example of what she described as a unilateral redrawing of borders.

She also questioned the position that Ukraine’s armed forces should not face limitations, pointing to the 1990 “2+4” Treaty, which imposed restrictions on the size of Germany’s military.

The Russian diplomat further criticised von der Leyen’s assertion that the EU should play a central role in securing peace, claiming that the West contributed to instability in Ukraine in 2014 by supporting protests that culminated in what Moscow calls an "unconstitutional change of power."

Von der Leyen presented her peace criteria on November 23, stressing that Ukraine’s borders must remain unchanged, that Kyiv must retain full sovereignty over its armed forces, and that the EU must be central to any future peace architecture.

European governments and Ukrainian officials have expressed unease over being largely excluded from the development of a separate 28-point US plan, which some critics argue could reward Russian aggression and leave Ukraine vulnerable to future threats.

By Sabina Mammadli