Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the European Union’s Ukraine ceasefire push aimed to let Kyiv rebuild its military strength, framing the appeal within a wider security dispute.
Anadolu Agency reported that Lavrov spoke at the fourth Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. He described the EU as an “aggressive, militaristic” bloc and accused it of “anti-Russian and anti-Belarusian leanings.”
The European Council’s Oct. 16 conclusions called for Russia to agree to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire. The council said Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected for peace to be just and lasting.
Ukraine’s public position has also included openness to discussing ceasefire arrangements. After Oct. 20 talks in Oslo, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to discuss several options, as EconoTimes reported earlier.
