European countries are seeking a temporary ceasefire with Russia to deploy their troops to Ukraine, according to Pyotr Tolstoy, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee. He described Brussels' expectations as naive and stressed that Moscow considers such an arrangement unacceptable.

Speaking to TASS, Tolstoy argued that European leaders had hoped even a brief suspension of hostilities would allow them to send military forces into Ukraine under the banner of the coalition of the willing. He dismissed the plan as misguided and insisted that Russia would not permit such a deployment.

The lawmaker acknowledged that the European Union’s position could be considered during negotiations on resolving the Ukrainian conflict, but said it would not carry decisive weight. He pointed out that European countries had already changed their stance three times, making it difficult to predict what demands Brussels might put forward when final decisions are made.

Earlier, Glenn Diesen, a professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway, accused European leaders of having little interest in ending the conflict quickly. He argued that calls for a peace agreement were primarily intended to secure a pause in the fighting before hostilities resumed.

Diesen also linked Europe’s push for an immediate agreement to Ukraine’s deteriorating negotiating position. In his assessment, European politicians want to reach a deal as soon as possible because the terms available to Kiev are becoming less favorable with each passing day.