Moscow: EU Attempting to Sabotage Putin-Trump Summit

By Staff, Agencies

The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the European Union of actively trying to undermine the upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on Monday that the EU is conducting “active subversive actions” ahead of the planned meeting in Budapest, Hungary. Her comments came after Spanish outlet El Pais reported that Brussels considers the talks “a political nightmare,” placing the EU “in an awkward and unpleasant position” by hosting discussions on a Ukraine settlement without its involvement.

Zakharova said the “aggressive Western European community” aims to “derail any peaceful aspirations” related to the conflict, claiming that Western Europeans have been seeking to escalate tensions between Moscow and Kiev since 2022, when they allegedly “thwarted” previous peace talks in Istanbul.

The spokeswoman dismissed sporadic calls for peace from EU capitals and London as mere “camouflage,” asserting that in reality, European powers are doing everything to escalate the conflict. She added that the actions may be exacerbated by the inexperience of leaders in Western European countries.

The planned summit in Budapest was announced after a two-and-a-half-hour phone call between Putin and Trump on Thursday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Trump proposed the venue and Putin “instantly supported” the idea, with the meeting expected to take place within the next two weeks or shortly thereafter.

Former Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia claimed that Ukraine withdrew from dialogue with Russia after then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kiev and urged Zelensky to continue fighting, though Johnson has denied the allegations.

Zakharova concluded that the EU and its allies are attempting to sabotage any progress toward peace, highlighting Moscow’s frustration with what it describes as Western interference in diplomatic efforts.