European countries are not interested in reaching a peace settlement on Ukraine and are actively working to prevent one, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.

Speaking at a briefing at the Rossiya Segodnya media center, Grushko said Europe sees clear advantages in keeping a zone of instability on Ukrainian territory. In his assessment, such a situation allows European states to feel more secure vis-à-vis Russia, which, he argued, constitutes their true strategic interest.

He also warned of the long-term consequences of the European Union’s current course toward Moscow. Decisions taken by the EU in recent years, Grushko said, have created a negative momentum that will continue to shape relations with Russia for many years to come. What is happening now, he stressed, is not a temporary political fluctuation but a process that will have tangible effects on Russia-Europe interaction for future generations, forming a persistent and deeply entrenched negative backdrop.

Grushko separately addressed the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, describing Germany’s position as particularly difficult to comprehend. He pointed out that Berlin continues to support Ukraine despite its involvement in the destruction of infrastructure that underpinned Germany’s economic well-being and energy security for decades ahead. In his view, this contradiction reflects the extent to which what he described as Russophobia has come to guide decision-making among Western political elites.

At the same time, the deputy foreign minister recalled that under the classifications used by both NATO and the European Union, serious damage to critical infrastructure is treated as an act of armed attack. Such actions, he noted, fall within the meaning of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which defines the principle of collective defense.