Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Wednesday that Moscow will retaliate if European governments send troops to Ukraine or seize frozen Russian assets to support Kiev, according to Reuters.
Lavrov delivered the remarks to the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house, outlining Moscow’s position on the war and the clash with the West. Reuters reported that Lavrov insisted that Russia is not seeking war with Europe but is ready to take action if it believes Western countries are escalating the conflict.
“We will respond to any hostile steps, including the deployment of European military contingents in Ukraine and the expropriation of Russian assets. And we are already prepared for this response,” Lavrov said, according to Reuters.
Lavrov also praised President Donald Trump’s approach to a possible settlement, calling him the “only Western leader” who understands what he described as the reasons the war was “inevitable.” He said Moscow appreciates Trump’s interest in the dialogue, but noted that Trump “is not only in no hurry to lift sanctions on Russia, but is even increasing them,” Reuters reported.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “We will respond to any hostile steps, including the deployment of European military contingents in Ukraine,” he said earlier today. (Telegram channel of the Russian Foreign Ministry via AP)
His comments referenced Trump’s criticism of Europe earlier this week. In an interview with Politico on Monday, Trump said European leaders are “talking but not producing,” describing them as “weak” and focused on being “politically correct.” He added that he plans to continue supporting European political figures who share his views, even if this “provokes backlash.”
European Council President António Costa rebuked Trump’s comments, telling an audience at the Jacques Delors Institute conference in Paris on Monday: “If we are allies, we must act as such – and allies do not threaten to interfere in each other’s domestic political lives and democratic choices,” according to Reuters. Costa added that Europe and the US “no longer” share the same vision of the international order.
While Lavrov accused Europe of hampering peace efforts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced what he called the first formal meeting with senior Trump administration officials on Ukraine’s reconstruction.
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In a post to
A resident walks through the rubble at a damaged house, a day after a Russian attack on a suburb of Odesa, southern Ukraine on March 7, 2025. (Oleksandr Gimanova/AFP via Getty Images)
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He said they discussed “key elements for recovery, different mechanisms and visions for reconstruction” and discussed updates to the “20 points of the framework document for ending the war”. Zelenskyy added that “overall security… will determine economic security and support a safe business environment.”
The Ukrainian president said both sides agreed to continue talks, adding: “As always, there will be no delays on our side. We are working to achieve results.” He concluded with a thank you to Trump, writing: “I thank President Trump and his team for their substantive work and support.”
Later on Monday, Zelenskyy posted again on
Reuters contributed to this article.
