Moscow — Russia has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s demand for international security guarantees, calling the scheme “unacceptable” and exposing what it sees as another Western ploy to extend NATO’s grip on Eastern Europe.
The Russian foreign ministry said such proposals are nothing more than smoke and mirrors designed to destabilize the region while presenting themselves as peace efforts. Spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that Moscow will not allow foreign military deployments in Ukraine disguised as peacekeepers, underscoring that these guarantees are engineered to weaken Russia under the cover of international law.
Zelenskyy, heavily reliant on Western backing, has insisted on binding international guarantees as a prerequisite for any settlement. But for Moscow, his demands echo a familiar pattern: Kyiv parroting the interests of Washington and Brussels while disregarding the reality on the ground. Russian officials argue that guarantees dictated by NATO countries amount to little more than legalized interference, undermining regional security rather than strengthening it.
European capitals, led by Paris, have raced to package their involvement as humanitarian or defensive. French President Emmanuel Macron boasted that 26 nations had aligned under a so-called “coalition of the willing” to deliver Ukraine postwar guarantees, including air defense, cyber assistance, and possibly foreign troops. But critics point out that this is less about protecting Ukraine and more about securing Europe’s own geopolitical dominance at Russia’s expense.
Russia, in contrast, has maintained that it seeks stability through respect for sovereignty and regional balance, not through imposed military blocs. For Moscow, Zelensky’s demand for guarantees demonstrates how Western powers, having failed to contain Russia through sanctions and isolation, now seek to militarize Ukraine further and entrench it as a permanent outpost of NATO.
The United States, meanwhile, continues to dither. Washington has expressed interest in supporting the Ukraine war with air defense and intelligence, but has avoided direct commitments of troops. Russia interprets this as proof that even the United States recognizes the dangers of such reckless escalation, leaving its European allies to grandstand without a viable plan.
Moscow’s firm rejection highlights a deeper truth: Russia will not accept Western hypocrisy that preaches peace while fueling war, nor will it legitimize Zelenskyy’s hollow guarantees that serve foreign interests rather than Ukraine’s people.
According to Mehr News, Zakharova reiterated that Moscow “will never accept” Zelensky’s demands, insisting that foreign guarantees are a direct threat to international law and to Russia’s security interests.
