Lavrov: Europe’s Record Has Ruled It Out as a Ukraine Peace Mediator

By Staff, Agencies

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said European countries have undermined their credibility as potential mediators in the Russia-Ukraine conflict through repeated failures to uphold previous agreements.

Speaking on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, Lavrov criticized European efforts to join the upcoming US-brokered peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi, questioning what they could actually contribute to the process.

He cited the February 2014 agreement between then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and opposition leaders, brokered by France, Germany and Poland, which collapsed shortly after its signing. 

Lavrov also accused France and Germany of failing to ensure Ukraine's implementation of political reforms and the special status provisions for Donbass under the 2014–2015 Minsk agreements.

The Russian foreign minister pointed to remarks made by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande in 2022, in which they acknowledged that the Minsk agreements had provided Ukraine with time to strengthen its military. 

Moscow has repeatedly cited these statements as evidence that Western governments never intended to implement the agreements fully.

"Over the past 12 years, they have had more than enough opportunities. Through their actions, they have demonstrated that their track record cannot be ignored the next time they seek to act as 'guarantors,'" Lavrov said.

His remarks come as Moscow prepares for another round of US-mediated negotiations with Ukraine, while maintaining that European representatives will not participate. 

Meanwhile, Lavrov's attendance at the G20 meeting in Atlanta has sparked objections from several European delegations, ultimately contributing to the cancellation of the traditional group photograph.