Russia Denounces European Peacekeeping Proposal as a Threat to Stability

On Thursday, Russia condemned a proposal for European peacekeepers to be sent to Ukraine, labeling it as «dangerous» and characterizing Kyiv and its allies as an «axis of war.» This stance dampened any hopes that the initiative might lead to a resolution of the nearly four-year conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been urging both sides of the conflict to reach a negotiated settlement, engaging in shuttle diplomacy between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin to facilitate an agreement.

The original 28-point proposal, which largely aligned with Moscow’s conditions, faced disapproval from both Kyiv and Europe. Now, Russia has criticized efforts to enhance protections for Ukraine in the event that a hard-to-achieve agreement is made.

This week, Ukraine’s allies announced they had reached a consensus on vital security guarantees for Kyiv during a summit in Paris, which included the deployment of a peacekeeping force.

However, following the summit, Moscow asserted that the positions expressed were not acceptable for the Kremlin to consider ending its offensive.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, stated that the new militaristic pronouncements from what she referred to as the «Coalition of the Willing» along with the Kyiv regime signify a true «axis of war.» She labeled the plans proposed by Ukraine’s partners as «dangerous» and «destructive.»

These comments came as Russian missile strikes left hundreds of thousands in Ukraine without electricity and heating amid freezing temperatures — attacks which Zelensky claimed illustrated Russia’s persistent intent to continue the war.

Earlier this week, European leaders and U.S. representatives indicated that post-conflict assurances for Ukraine would comprise a U.S.-led monitoring system and the deployment of a European multinational force once hostilities cease.

However, Moscow has consistently warned against accepting any NATO countries sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. Zakharova reiterated this stance on Thursday, asserting that all such units would be regarded as legitimate military targets by the Russian Armed Forces.

Zelensky also announced on Thursday that a bilateral security guarantee agreement with the United States was nearly complete and awaiting finalization at the highest level with President Biden, following discussions between diplomats in Paris this week.

Kyiv emphasizes the need for legally binding commitments from its allies to defend it, to deter Russia from launching further attacks if a ceasefire is achieved.

Yet, the specific details regarding the guarantees, the structure of the European force, and its operational role remain undisclosed.

Earlier in the week, Zelensky noted that he had not received a clear response regarding the actions to be taken if Russia were to strike again after any deal is reached.

Zelensky also pointed out that the toughest issues in any potential agreement—control over the eastern Donbas region and the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant—continue to be unresolved.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been working diligently to restore heat and water services to hundreds of thousands of households after a recent wave of attacks targeted energy infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

«This is truly a national emergency,» stated Borys Filatov, mayor of Dnipro, via Telegram. He reported that power was «gradually returning to hospitals» which had been relying on generators due to outages. The city authorities have also extended school breaks for children.

According to Ukrainian energy company DTEK, about 600,000 households in the Dnipropetrovsk region remain without power.

In a social media post, Zelensky remarked that the attacks «clearly do not suggest that Moscow is reconsidering its priorities.»

In addition to the relentless assault on Dnipropetrovsk, Russia continued its ground offensive in the area, claiming to have captured another village, which is not one of the five Ukrainian territories that Russia claims to have annexed.