The key facts
- On November 9, Ryabkov spoke via video link at the round table 'The Militarization of Europe: What Next?' on the OSCE platform
- According to him, the conflict could have ended in the spring of 2022 if the interests of all parties, including Russia, had been taken into account
- Peskov called the talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11 trilateral — Russia, Ukraine and the US, without the Europeans
Statement at the OSCE platform
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke via video link on November 9 at the round table 'The Militarization of Europe: What Next?', held on the OSCE platform. This is reported by Life.ru. According to him, a number of European governments are not seeking to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Assessment of the sovereignty situation
Ryabkov stated that, in his assessment, Ukraine has come under external military-political control, and emphasized that it 'is deprived of even indirect signs of sovereignty.' This is the assessment of the Russian diplomat, voiced in his speech, not a fact confirmed by independent sources.
The version of a sabotaged settlement in 2022
The diplomat also claims that the conflict could have ended as early as the spring of 2022 if the settlement had taken into account the interests of all parties, including Russia. According to his version, Western countries, through the United Kingdom, pushed Kyiv to reject the proposed settlement option.
Context: talks in Abu Dhabi
Earlier, press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov called the talks in Abu Dhabi trilateral: the meeting on November 10–11 is planned to include Russia, Ukraine and the United States, while the participation of European representatives, according to him, is not envisaged. Ryabkov's statement about Europe's position came against the backdrop of this agenda: it concerns the role of European governments in the settlement, which, according to Peskov, are not included in the format of the Abu Dhabi talks.
