Listen To Story Above
The Kremlin dismissed President Trump’s assertions on Tuesday that Vladimir Putin would welcome European peacekeepers in Ukraine, highlighting growing tensions between Moscow and Washington over potential post-conflict arrangements.
Speaking at a press conference, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referenced Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s previous stance, stating, “There is a position on this matter that was expressed by Russian Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov,” Russia media site TASS reported. “I have nothing to add to this and nothing to comment on.”
This statement followed Lavrov’s firm opposition to NATO-affiliated forces in Ukraine after any peace agreement. At a press conference in Saudi Arabia last week, Lavrov had declared, “So we explained today, the appearance of armed forces from the same countries, albeit under a foreign flag, under the flag of the European Union or under national flags, does not change anything in this regard. This is, of course, unacceptable to us.”
🚨🇷🇺🇺🇦 Putin says Trump aims for peace and stability for Ukraine's survival. Trump wants to enhance Ukraine's political situation, unite society, and ensure the country's survival. Putin notes this benefits Ukraine more than Russia due to the ongoing conflict. Trump also seeks… pic.twitter.com/jug3IB9r8J
— Anti-Woke Warrior (@AntiWokeWar_) February 24, 2025
The disagreement emerged after Trump’s confident declaration alongside French President Emmanuel Macron that Putin would accept peacekeepers. “Yeah, he will accept that. I’ve asked him that question,” Trump had stated in the Oval Office. “Look, if we do this deal, he’s not looking for more war. He doesn’t mind. But I’ve specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it.”
Macron, a strong advocate for European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, expressed his willingness to deploy French troops, explaining, “They would be there to maintain peace, they would not be along the front lines, they would not be part of any conflict. They would be there to ensure that the peace is respected.”
'He's not looking for more war' – Trump says Putin will accept peacekeepers in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/XwuOikdKTe
— Viory Video (@vioryvideo) February 24, 2025
Putin later revealed that he hadn’t discussed Ukraine extensively with Trump but remained open to future discussions if US-Russia relations improved. Peskov emphasized the long road ahead for rebuilding trust, noting, “In order to say that we trust the Americans, we have to go a long way. We need to take many small steps towards each other that will contribute to the emergence and renewal of this atmosphere of trust. Much has suffered, much has been destroyed, so it is, of course, impossible to restore this overnight.”
Despite these tensions, both nations have shown interest in strengthening diplomatic and economic ties. Discussions about rare-earth minerals cooperation have emerged, with Peskov stating, “The Americans need rare earth metals. We have plenty of them, and we have our own plans for developing strategic resources. This opens up quite broad prospects for cooperation.”
The White House declined to comment on these developments when contacted by The Post.
