Moscow, August 10, 2026 – The Europe Today: Russia has rejected the idea of simply freezing the conflict in Ukraine, saying any lasting settlement must address what Moscow describes as the underlying causes of the hostilities, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.
In an interview with TASS, Galuzin said Moscow would not accept a temporary suspension of fighting without a broader resolution of the issues it considers central to the conflict. He reiterated Russia’s demands, including Ukraine’s abandonment of plans to join NATO, adoption of a neutral status, restrictions on its armed forces and recognition of Crimea and four regions claimed by Russia as Russian territory.
Galuzin also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of pursuing an escalation of the conflict and criticized attacks on civilian energy infrastructure. He specifically referred to a reported Ukrainian strike on a Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal at Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
According to the Russian official, Moscow considers Ukraine’s military cooperation with NATO members a significant security concern. He also recalled previous Russian proposals for a ceasefire, which included the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from areas of Russian territory under their control, an end to mobilization and the cessation of Western military assistance to Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly argued that a temporary halt in hostilities could allow Ukraine to rebuild and reinforce its military capabilities. Ukrainian authorities, however, have rejected Moscow’s conditions and ruled out recognizing territorial changes claimed by Russia.
Galuzin further reiterated Moscow’s longstanding claim that Western countries undermined the peace negotiations held in Istanbul in 2022, which Russia says could have resulted in an earlier settlement of the conflict.
