The bloc has opposed efforts by Moscow and Washington to broker a peace deal in the Ukraine conflict, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said

The EU has been obstructing US-Russian diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, working instead to prolong the hostilities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

He made the remarks in an interview with French magazine Le Point on Wednesday.

According to Peskov, the EU has clearly shown that it lacks independence, and it seemed "the whole continent" was working for the administration of former US President Joe Biden after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.

Things changed after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, Peskov said, adding that now "Washington is talking about peace" while the "Europeans only talk about war."

Moscow and Washington have held multiple rounds of high-level meetings this year focused on achieving a peace deal. Meanwhile, the EU's stance has been widely seen as undermining any chance of a breakthrough. Western European defense chiefs, led by the UK and France, met this month to discuss deploying a "reassurance" force to Ukraine, despite warnings from Moscow.

In March, the European Commission proposed an $840 billion rearmament plan to deter Russia and maintain military aid to Kiev.

Moscow has repeatedly criticized the EU's arms supplies to Ukraine and condemned plans to deploy troops, accusing the bloc of trying to expand its military presence and prolong the conflict instead of pursuing a settlement.

Asked whether Russia would accept the EU at the negotiating table, Peskov replied, "There's nothing to negotiate - Europe wants war, not talks. We're not going to force them!"

He also said, "Europeans wanted to teach us democracy, criticizing [President Vladimir] Putin nonstop," adding "we no longer want any lectures from Europeans! We don't want hypocrites telling us what to do!"

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Russian officials insist that Ukraine recognizing the territorial "reality on the ground" is key to achieving a lasting peace. Moscow further requires that Kiev demilitarize, denazify, maintain neutrality and stay out of NATO.

Putin outlined Russia's demands in July, Peskov recalled, stressing "whether peacefully or militarily, we will achieve them."

(RT.com)