First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Alexey Chepa stated that Russia flatly rejects the claim that an end to the conflict in Ukraine is «nowhere in sight». According to him, Moscow wants peace as quickly as possible and, as he put it in comments to Lenta.ru, is doing everything it can to bring that about.

Chepa argued that it is certain NATO countries and their leaders who are obstructing a settlement, deliberately disrupting any attempts to reach agreements. He recalled that the West initially proceeded from the idea of waging the war «to the last Ukrainian» and said that, for this purpose, NATO states are prepared to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine despite the destructive consequences for their own economies, seeking to drain Russia as much as possible.

The lawmaker also noted that the alliance is now doing everything to keep the hostilities going while at the same time trying to accuse Moscow of unwillingness to agree to peace. Chepa described this stance as cynical.