Bangladesh, June 7 -- In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has accused Western European nations of deliberately obstructing efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency TASS, Ryabkov claimed that European Union member states-under the influence of NATO and Washingtons foreign policy establishment-are actively undermining the tentative steps toward a negotiated resolution between Moscow and Kiev.

The remarks follow the first direct high-level talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years, held in May under apparent pressure from US President Donald Trump. According to Ryabkov, these talks led to a significant breakthrough, including a landmar...