Moscow Hosts French, British and German Ambassadors Amid Ukraine Peace Debate

On Thursday, June 11, ambassadors of Germany, the United Kingdom and France to Russia — Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Nigel Casey and Nicolas de Rivière — arrived at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they were received by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. The details of the meeting were published in a statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.

According to the statement, the heads of the diplomatic missions were presented with Russia's assessment of what it described as the destructive policies of their governments regarding the Ukrainian crisis.

"The ambassadors were presented with objective assessments of the destructive policies pursued by the leadership of their countries in relation to the Ukrainian crisis, policies aimed at maximally encouraging the Kyiv regime to continue the war against Russia,” the statement said.

The meeting took place at the initiative of representatives of the Western countries.

What Is Known About the Talks?

Mikhail Galuzin reminded the ambassadors that, in Russia's view, a coalition of Western states is participating in the conflict against Russia.

"On behalf of, at the expense of, and with the direct assistance of the Western "coalition of the willing,'” he emphasized in his remarks to the diplomats.

The ambassadors were also briefed on Russia's principal approaches to resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

"The Russian side's fundamental approaches to seeking a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict based on eliminating its root causes were explained,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

The ambassadors' visit to the Russian Foreign Ministry followed a joint statement issued by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after their meeting in London.

The statement, published on June 7, included several key proposals:

• An immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.
• A halt to military operations along the current line of contact to facilitate further negotiations.
• Expanded military assistance to Ukraine.
• Increased economic pressure on Russia.
• Security guarantees for Ukraine.

Commenting on the initiative, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that Western leaders speak about peace while simultaneously supporting the development of new weapons systems for Ukraine.

"Is this not inconsistent, and does this not demonstrate the true intentions of the European capitals?” Peskov said.

Europe Seeks Greater Role in Ukraine Negotiations

In recent weeks, leaders of European Union member states have increasingly discussed the prospect of direct negotiations involving Russia, the United States and Europe regarding Ukraine.

Speaking before the Italian parliament, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for the appointment of an authoritative representative to speak on behalf of the European Union in discussions with Russia.

"I have long advocated the need to select a respected figure who enjoys the trust and mandate of all member states to convey Europe's position,” Meloni said.

European officials have also advocated reconsidering agreements reached between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Alaska in August 2025.

Earlier, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that European leaders intend to seek Donald Trump's support for negotiations with Russia during the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit.

According to those sources, officials in the United Kingdom, France and Germany believe that developments on the battlefield have shifted in Ukraine's favor, creating an opportunity to revisit the understandings reached by Trump and Putin in Anchorage.

Russia's Position on Ukraine Settlement

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Russian president's special representative for investment and economic cooperation, expressed hope that Europe would adopt a more realistic approach to ending the conflict.

According to Dmitriev, Moscow believes Europe's position is gradually becoming more pragmatic.

"Russia has very clearly outlined what a peaceful settlement should look like, and President Vladimir Putin has presented that vision,” Dmitriev said.

He added that various European politicians had previously proposed peace initiatives that, in his view, lacked sufficient realism.