The Kremlin criticized the European Union for refusing to lift sanctions on Russia, arguing that the decision demonstrates the bloc’s unwillingness to pursue peace in Ukraine.
Moscow has insisted that Western nations remove sanctions on the state-owned Rosselkhozbank as a condition for reviving an agreement that ensured the safe passage of Ukrainian cargo through the Black Sea.
“Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that lifting sanctions on a Russian bank is a fundamental part of the Black Sea deal. “If European countries refuse to take this step, it means they are not aligning with peace efforts pursued by Moscow and Washington,” he told reporters.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in 2022, was designed to facilitate the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. However, Moscow withdrew from the agreement in 2023, accusing the West of failing to honor its commitments to ease restrictions on Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports.
Under EU sanctions, Rosselkhozbank was cut off from the SWIFT financial messaging system, severely limiting its ability to conduct international transactions.
During a meeting in Paris on Thursday, European leaders dismissed any possibility of sanction relief for Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer asserted that there was “complete clarity that now is not the time for lifting sanctions,” instead advocating for their expansion.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed this stance, warning that lifting sanctions without a ceasefire would be a “grave mistake” and would “make no sense.”
On Friday, Peskov also addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent remarks calling for the removal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the establishment of a “temporary administration” in Kyiv.
The Kremlin spokesman claimed that Ukraine’s military was operating with a “total lack of control,” accusing its forces of launching daily attacks on energy infrastructure despite an agreement to pause such strikes. Nevertheless, Peskov insisted that Russia would continue to uphold its own commitment to refrain from such attacks—at least “for now.”
