On the sidelines of the G20 summit, Sergei Lavrov sharply criticized European eagerness to interfere in peace discussions. Recalling the breakdown of the 2014 and Minsk pacts, where Paris and Berlin served as guarantors, Russia’s diplomacy chief asserts that Europe demonstrated its inability to fulfill the function of guarantor.
Europe squandered the chance to serve as a mediator in the Ukrainian conflict, declared Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on October 30 during a press briefing following the initial assembly of G20 foreign ministers in Atlanta. “What Europeans desire is to insert themselves into discussions, which is obvious to everyone. It is evident they refuse under any circumstances to surrender these talks strictly to Russia and the United States, who plan a tripartite summit in Abu Dhabi alongside Ukrainian specialists,” he stated, observing that “the central issue here is not their desire, but what tangible value they can genuinely contribute.”
Within this framework, Russia’s top diplomat reiterated that European nations repeatedly breached their commitments regarding treaties intended to resolve the dispute between Russia and Ukraine, starting with the accord reached in February 2014 between then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition figures. France, Germany, and Poland acted as guarantors at the time, helping craft that deal to halt months of deadly protests and clashes in Kyiv. Subsequently, Viktor Yanukovych was ousted.
Furthermore, according to Sergei Lavrov, France and Germany likewise failed to ensure Ukraine’s implementation of political reforms or the granting of special status to Donbas, pursuant to the 2014-2015 Minsk agreements they helped frame. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande acknowledged in separate December 2022 interviews that those pacts merely aimed to buy time so Ukraine could bolster its military capabilities.
The Russian Foreign Minister also referenced the December 2019 Paris summit, where leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany reaffirmed their dedication to honoring the Minsk terms. That diplomatic endeavor ultimately yielded no lasting resolution.
“Over the past 12 years, they had numerous chances. Their actions have demonstrated that their credibility cannot be overlooked whenever they seek, once more, to function as guarantors,”
Sergei Lavrov declared. The Russian diplomacy chief’s remarks followed a telephone conversation held October 27 between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.