According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, quoted by pro-Kremlin media, the West is inciting Ukraine to keep the war going, sabotaging any diplomatic effort by Russia.
NEWS: The Western masters of Ukraine are inciting Kyiv in every possible way to continue the conflict. The statement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a press conference held after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
"Russia is interested in making sure that all agreements concluded over the past three years on this issue are respected, but unfortunately the same cannot be said about our Ukrainian neighbors, whose Western masters not only allow them whatever they want, but also actively incite them," Lavrov said.
As EADaily reported, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has stated that the leaders of the EU countries are not capable of participating in the negotiations on Ukraine. “I really like these statements by the Westerners that they would like to be mediators in the negotiations, but after their recent actions, including from the train car that was taking them from Kyiv, I, for one, doubt that they will be able to sit at the negotiating table. Maybe they should already reserve a place under the table?” the diplomat said, alluding to the scandal surrounding the bag of cocaine that journalists noticed in the possession of French President Emmanuel Macron.
NARRATIVES: 1. Russia is respecting the peace agreements with Ukraine and the diplomatic initiatives of recent years. 2. The West is forcing Kyiv to continue the war against Russia. 3. European leaders are unable to mediate in the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.
PURPOSE: To legitimize the continuation of the Russian invasion by presenting Russia as a peaceful party in the conflict and the West as the instigator; to undermine the credibility of Ukraine's Western partners.
Reality: Russia is an aggressor state that started the invasion, while the support provided by the West is legal assistance to a country exercising its right to self-defense
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: There has been no peace agreement signed by Russia in the past three years, and no serious ceasefire initiative rejected by the West or Kyiv. So far, Moscow has only presented proposals that amount to a capitulation of Ukraine. Russia has systematically violated international law and bilateral agreements with Ukraine. For example, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum , under which Russia pledged to respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and existing borders in exchange for giving up its nuclear arsenal, was flagrantly violated by the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of February 2022. According to OSCE’s reports , Russia and pro-Russian forces have violated the Minsk I (2014) and Minsk II (2015) peace agreements.
The Western support for Ukraine is presented by Russia as “incitement to war”. In reality, the military and financial assistance the West has been providing to Ukraine is legal and in compliance with Article 51 of the UN Charter , which guarantees the right to individual and collective self-defense. The UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1 of March 2022 condemns Russia’s aggression and reaffirms Ukraine’s right to self-defense. Western support does not constitute “incitement”, but legal assistance to a country defending its sovereign territory against invasion.
Instead of addressing the substance of the diplomatic issue, Russia is resorting to personal attacks. Unfounded accusations of drug use are a classic discrediting tactic. On May 12, in a message published on the X platform , the Élysée Palace dismissed unfounded rumors according to which President Emmanuel Macron had a bag of cocaine on him during his visit to Ukraine, explaining that the white object captured in a video recording was, in fact, just a napkin. The rumors were fueled by a video in which Macron, on a train with European leaders, appears to discreetly pick up a crumpled object from a table, and the image went viral on social media. The French presidency has described the speculation as “fake news” spread by “enemies of France” and accused a manipulation campaign aimed at undermining European unity, against the background of France accusing Russia of disinformation. The Élysée also denied information that Macron was excluded by former US President Donald Trump from a discussion with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
In reality, European leaders have demonstrated their commitment to diplomatic solutions through multiple initiatives. The French President tried to convince Vladimir Putin, in January-February 2022, not to attack Ukraine, but to no avail. The EU and the UK must be present at the negotiating table between Ukraine and Russia because they are actors directly involved in supporting Kyiv and in the regional security architecture. Their political, financial and military support influenced the course of the war, and any lasting peace agreement will require guarantees and commitments from these powers. Moreover, the long-term stability of the continent depends on the involvement of these actors in defining and supporting a new European security framework that would prevent the resumption of hostilities and ensure respect for Ukraine's sovereignty.
It is worth noting that the war in Ukraine does not end not because of the support provided by the West, but because of Russia’s refusal to withdraw its forces from sovereign Ukrainian territory. Unlike Kyiv, Russia refuses to unconditionally cease fire. The International Court of Justice has called for the cessation of military operations on Ukrainian territory, and the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for President Putin and other Russian officials, accused of war crimes. Sergey Lavrov’s statements follow the classic patterns of Russian propaganda: role reversal (the aggressor becomes the victim), projection (blaming the adversary for their own actions), and discrediting Western leaders. These are tactics documented in articles on disinformation analysis by various research institutions.
CONTEXT: At a joint press conference in Moscow on May 27, 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia supported the idea of a new round of peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, calling Turkey a reliable partner. The statement comes as international diplomacy is looking for a location to resume dialogue after the failure of the talks on May 16. Lavrov has rejected the Vatican as a possible host, citing religious incompatibility, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has mentioned Turkey, Switzerland and the Vatican as possible options. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who met with Vladimir Putin and Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky in Moscow, has reaffirmed Ankara's readiness to facilitate the dialogue. Although no official date or location has yet been set, Turkey remains a key player in the mediation efforts.
