Russia wants a 'quick peace' in Ukraine, ambassador claims as he accuses UK of prolonging war
6 March 2025, 17:15 | Updated: 6 March 2025, 18:21
Russia has claimed it wants a “quick peace” and the UK is at the "head of those resisting."
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Russia’s ambassador to the UK has accused Britain, France and the European Union of prolonging the war in Ukraine.
It comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets European leaders in Brussels amid ever-worsening relations between Ukraine and the United States.
"We are prepared to negotiate and to talk," Andrei Kelin told Sky News.
“We have our position. If we can strike a negotiated settlement... we need a very serious approach to that and a very serious agreement about all of that - and about security in Europe."
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Ukraine has maintained that any peace that allows Russia to keep the land it has taken since 2022 is no peace at all.
But since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the US has pulled almost all military, financial and political support for Ukraine and has instead looked to curry favour with Russia to ensure a ceasefire.
In a shock move earlier this week, the White House paused all aid funding to Ukraine, with Trump insisting all money previously provided to the under-siege European nation be paid back in the form of a minerals deal.
Mr Kelin said he is "not surprised" by this move.
"He knows history and is very different from European leaders," he said.
The ambassador added that any peace deal must allow Russia to keep the vast swathes of land it was taken from Ukraine over the last three years.
"What we will need is a new Ukraine as a neutral, non-nuclear state," he said.
"The territorial situation should be recognised.
“These territories have been included in our constitution and we will continue to push that all forces of the Ukrainian government will leave these territories."
Mr Kelin also dismissed the notion that British and French troops could be stationed in Ukraine to keep the peace in the event a ceasefire is agreed.
