Russia dismisses European involvement in Ukraine peace talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that there is no reason for European nations to join Ukraine truce talks. He accused them of wanting to prolong the conflict and criticized their past efforts to resolve the situation. Lavrov's remarks came as he prepared to meet U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia, while European leaders gathered in Paris for an emergency summit on Ukraine. He emphasized that Europe had missed its opportunity to address the conflict since 2014. He also reiterated that Russia would not compromise on the territories it has claimed in eastern and southern Ukraine. Lavrov dismissed any possibility of discussing territorial concessions during negotiations.