EU Officials' Calls for Peace are Hypocritical, Says Zakharova

Statements by European Union officials following the Ukraine-EU summit completely undermine the principles on which the EU was originally built. This was stated by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The event held in Kyiv on February 3 again confirmed that the EU continues to fully support the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv in order to weaken Russia and serve the hegemonic ambitions of the US and NATO,” Zakharova's words are quoted on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

She added that the EU promises Ukraine a European perspective while violating its requirements for candidates and declaring a “commonality of values,” thereby expressing solidarity with the repression of dissent, the infringement of freedom of speech, and the violation of linguistic and religious rights in Ukraine. At the same time, the EU confirms in its statement following the summit a complete commitment to respect for the rights of individuals belonging to minorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative emphasized that the peace calls of EU officials are hypocritical when they speak of financing the continuation of military operations and supplying weapons. “The calls for peace from the EU are no less hypocritical in conditions when they declare their willingness to allocate funds for the continuation of military operations 'as much as necessary.' The increase in funding for the conflict, the new supplies of weapons and equipment, the increase in training camps, and the expansion of training programs for the Ukrainian armed forces all contribute to an increase in the number of casualties in the conflict, including among civilians,” Zakharova stated.

The EU-Ukraine summit took place in Kyiv on February 3. Leaders of European institutions pledged to continue support for Ukraine, impose further sanctions against Russia, work on a 'mechanism for prosecuting the crime of aggression,' and explore the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's recovery. Additionally, EU leaders were cautious regarding the prospects for Ukraine's expedited membership in the EU, emphasizing that there are no rigid deadlines for such a process and that Ukraine still needs to implement reforms.