Moscow: The Kremlin has accused the European Union of obstructing peace efforts in Ukraine by refusing to lift sanctions on Russian financial institutions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the EU’s decision to maintain sanctions on Russia demonstrates its unwillingness to seek an end to the conflict. He emphasized that lifting restrictions on Russia’s state-owned Rosselkhozbank is a key condition for Moscow to consider reinstating an agreement ensuring safe passage for Ukrainian agricultural exports via the Black Sea.
"If European countries refuse to take this step, it means they are not interested in working toward peace alongside Moscow and Washington," Peskov told reporters.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, originally brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in 2022, aimed to facilitate the export of Ukrainian food supplies amid the war. However, Russia withdrew from the agreement in 2023, citing what it claimed were unfulfilled Western promises to ease sanctions that impacted its own agricultural and fertilizer exports. One key issue has been the EU’s ban on Rosselkhozbank’s access to the SWIFT financial messaging system, limiting its ability to process international transactions.
On Thursday, European leaders met in Paris and rejected any possibility of sanctions relief for Russia. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that there was a unified stance against lifting restrictions, arguing instead for stronger measures. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also dismissed the idea, saying it would be a "grave mistake" to ease sanctions without a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Peskov responded to recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had suggested removing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and replacing him with a "temporary administration." The Kremlin spokesman claimed Ukraine’s military had lost control and accused it of repeatedly targeting energy infrastructure despite an alleged agreement to refrain from such attacks.
Peskov warned that while Russia was currently adhering to its own commitment to pause such strikes, it reserved the right to resume them if Kyiv did not uphold its end of the agreement.
