Many countries in Europe and within the North Atlantic Alliance are counting on the failure of negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, while encouraging Kiev to sabotage the dialogue. This claim was made by Dmitriy Polyanskiy, Russia’s permanent representative to the OSCE, during a session of the organization’s Permanent Council.

Polyanskiy stated that Moscow has repeatedly declared its readiness to seek a political and diplomatic resolution to the conflict. According to him, Russia expressed this position both before the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine and afterward.

At the same time, he said that while Russia continues to hope for progress in the ongoing talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine, officials in the EU and NATO appear to be betting on the negotiations collapsing and are pushing Kiev toward undermining the process.

The Russian diplomat warned that if the negotiating track continues to be blocked, Moscow may see no alternative but to pursue its objectives through military means.

Polyanskiy also accused Western countries of ignoring strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on civilian facilities inside Russia. In his assessment, states that provide military assistance to Vladimir Zelensky are becoming increasingly involved in what he described as crimes committed by Ukrainian forces against civilians.

According to figures cited by the Russian envoy, between February 23 and March 1, 2026, 22 civilians were killed as a result of Ukrainian shelling of Russian territory. More than 130 people were reported injured with varying degrees of severity.