Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, declared that Russia is prepared for war with Europe. This continues a series of threats from the Kremlin towards European countries. The main purpose of these threats is to intimidate Europeans and push them to reduce or halt support for Ukraine, especially in light of possible shifts in the US position.
Moscow fears European leaders might influence Donald Trump, if elected, and warn him about the dangers of trusting Putin. Another threat is Lavrov's statement that any European peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russian forces.
Such rhetoric shows the Kremlin has no real interest in a genuine peace process with Ukraine. Russian authorities are instead using negotiations to buy time to prepare for new offensives and continue strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The issue of a peacekeeping force has been raised multiple times. Initially, Trump encouraged the creation of a European peacekeeping contingent, but after contacts with Putin, he abandoned this idea. The US may now block the deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine, thus supporting the Kremlin’s stance.
Lavrov accuses Ukraine and its president of prolonging the war while insisting that Russia must achieve all goals announced by Putin. His historical narrative about protecting Russian speakers is contradicted by continued bombings of cities where Russian was commonly spoken before the war.
The Kremlin’s rhetoric about "protection" and threats of war remains a tool for justifying invasion and intimidating both Europe and Ukraine.
