Egypt Daily News – Amid ongoing and escalating tensions between European countries particularly France and the UK and Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made new remarks on Sunday, sharply criticizing Western intentions.
Lavrov stated that the European Union’s plan to form a coalition to send troops to Ukraine “reflects an attitude of arrogance,” adding that there would be no need to negotiate with Russia under such circumstances.
He accused French President Emmanuel Macron, British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, and Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz of “voicing hostile slogans and threatening Moscow,” but claimed that this rhetoric “does not reflect the views of their people,” according to the TASS news agency.
Lavrov continued: “It seems that the ‘coalition of the willing’ feels superior and arrogant, refusing to listen to others or consider differing opinions.” He also said this behavior is reminiscent of “the return of Nazi ideas, customs, and norms,” warning against using such language with Moscow.
He added, “Macron, Starmer, and Merz are launching hostile slogans that threaten Russia,” but emphasized, “The nerves of the Russian people are strong and calm. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly affirmed that the country is ready to discuss any issues.” He concluded, “We expect at least basic courtesy from those who will inevitably have to engage with us.”
The Paris Meeting
The so-called “coalition of the willing” held a meeting in Paris on March 27, during which representatives from about 30 countries discussed potential security guarantees for Kyiv after the end of the conflict in Ukraine.
One of the main topics was the possible deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory. The United States did not participate in this meeting.
“Deterrent Forces”
Following the summit, Macron stated that several coalition members were planning to send “deterrent forces” to Ukraine, stressing that the Franco-British initiative would not replace Ukrainian forces.
He clarified that the “deterrent forces” would not serve as peacekeepers, but would rather aim to “contain Russia” and would be deployed in strategic locations pre-agreed with Kyiv.
Moscow, however, considers any deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian soil an escalation of the war and a threat to its national and strategic security.
