Karasin: The duel of approaches of Russia and the EU to the affairs of Ukraine unfolds with new facets

Europe is raising the stakes and toughening public rhetoric to deepen the Ukrainian crisis, trying to weaken Russia by cynically adopting new sanctions packages against it. In this regard, the duel of approaches of Moscow and Brussels to the settlement of the Ukraine is unfolding with new facets, said Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation.

"The European line is methodically and persistently being unwound according to the worst possible scenario. Any development in a constructive direction causes irritation, since it can bring down the conceived schemes of deepening the Ukrainian crisis with an exit to the weakening of Russia. Hence the insistence on a truce," the senator said in his telegram channel.

"To this, however, [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergey Lavrov laconically and aptly cut off, saying that "a truce, and then we'll see" will no longer work. I think Brussels, at least, bristled," Karasin added.

Summing up, he stressed that "the duel of approaches to Ukrainian affairs unfolds with new facets."

Earlier today, the head of the international committee of the Federation Council also noted:

"Direct threats are being heard from London, Berlin and Paris against Russia and anyone who allows themselves to doubt the benefits of a course to deepen confrontation. Attempts to drive a wedge into relations between Russia and the United States, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [US President Donald] Trump. Frankly speaking, it doesn't work out very well!"

EADaily adds that on the eve of May 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Yerevan, during a conversation with students at the Russian-Armenian University, commented on the situation with the truce negotiations on Ukraine. He described Trump's initiative for an immediate and unconditional truce as a tactic of "Let's have a truce — and then we'll see." According to him, Russia will not do such a thing. "We have already been in these stories, we don't want to do this anymore," Lavrov said, referring to Kiev's thwarted negotiations with Moscow in 2022.