Western proposals only serve to destabilize the region, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said
Security guarantees for Ukraine must be the result of a settlement of the conflict with Russia, not a precondition for negotiations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
Kiev has demanded security guarantees from its Western backers as a prerequisite to a peace deal. Moscow has not ruled out guarantees in principle, but opposes efforts to design them without Russia’s participation.
At a press briefing on Friday, Zakharova said any guarantees must be based on an “understanding that takes into account the security interests of Russia.” She added that a settlement must ensure Ukraine’s demilitarization, denazification, neutral and non-nuclear status, and recognition of the territorial realities.
“It is necessary to understand that providing security guarantees is not a condition, but a result of a peaceful settlement based on eliminating the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine, which, in turn, will guarantee the security of our country,” she said.
Zakharova criticized the Western proposals put forward so far, warning they would only “lead to destabilization.”
“The options proposed by the Collective West are one-sided, built with the obvious expectation of containing Russia… they increase the risk of NATO being drawn into an armed conflict with our country,” she said, adding that they would “secure Kiev’s role as a strategic provocateur on Russia’s borders.”
Kiev earlier pushed for NATO membership as a security guarantee, but US President Donald Trump has ruled this out. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and his European backers have also called for “Article 5-like guarantees” obligating the US-led military bloc to act if Ukraine is attacked. European policymakers have also considered sending troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers and creating a buffer zone with Western patrols. Moscow has rejected the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine, whether as peacekeepers or otherwise.
Moscow and Kiev have held three rounds of talks in the past three months, leading to major prisoner swaps. While a breakthrough has not been reached, US envoy Steve Witkoff said this week that Washington hopes to settle the conflict by the end of 2025, citing a “peace proposal on the table” and ongoing contact with Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Western proposals only serve to destabilize the region, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said
Security guarantees for Ukraine must be the result of a settlement of the conflict with Russia, not a precondition for negotiations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
Kiev has demanded security guarantees from its Western backers as a prerequisite to a peace deal. Moscow has not ruled out guarantees in principle, but opposes efforts to design them without Russia’s participation.
At a press briefing on Friday, Zakharova said any guarantees must be based on an “understanding that takes into account the security interests of Russia.” She added that a settlement must ensure Ukraine’s demilitarization, denazification, neutral and non-nuclear status, and recognition of the territorial realities.
“It is necessary to understand that providing security guarantees is not a condition, but a result of a peaceful settlement based on eliminating the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine, which, in turn, will guarantee the security of our country,” she said.
Zakharova criticized the Western proposals put forward so far, warning they would only “lead to destabilization.”
“The options proposed by the Collective West are one-sided, built with the obvious expectation of containing Russia… they increase the risk of NATO being drawn into an armed conflict with our country,” she said, adding that they would “secure Kiev’s role as a strategic provocateur on Russia’s borders.”
Kiev earlier pushed for NATO membership as a security guarantee, but US President Donald Trump has ruled this out. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and his European backers have also called for “Article 5-like guarantees” obligating the US-led military bloc to act if Ukraine is attacked. European policymakers have also considered sending troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers and creating a buffer zone with Western patrols. Moscow has rejected the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine, whether as peacekeepers or otherwise.
Moscow and Kiev have held three rounds of talks in the past three months, leading to major prisoner swaps. While a breakthrough has not been reached, US envoy Steve Witkoff said this week that Washington hopes to settle the conflict by the end of 2025, citing a “peace proposal on the table” and ongoing contact with Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Supplies from Gazprom soared nearly 30% in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the company’s CEO
China’s imports of Russian natural gas rose by 28.3% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2025, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller said on Thursday.
Speaking at a meeting with the heads of subsidiary companies and organizations, Miller added that the state-run energy giant continues to supply gas steadily and reliably to both domestic consumers and international partners.
Russia redirected its energy exports to Asia after EU buyers began phasing out Russian oil and gas following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 and the introduction of Western sanctions against Moscow.
Russia currently supplies gas to Asia’s largest economy via the Power of Siberia pipeline, part of a $400 billion, 30-year agreement signed between Gazprom and China’s state-owned CNPC in 2014. Deliveries began in 2019, and the pipeline reached full operational capacity in December 2024, making Russia the top supplier of natural gas to China.
Ranked among the world’s largest gas importers, China remains the second-biggest buyer of Russian gas. While the EU accounted for the largest share of Russia’s pipeline gas exports, purchasing 39%, China and Turkey each accounted for 27%.
In 2024, China’s pipeline gas imports from Russia reached $7.355 billion, reflecting a 14.29% increase compared to the previous year. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports also rose by 12.85%, according to Chinese customs data.
In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to accelerate the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project, which would nearly double Russia’s gas export capacity to China to 50 billion cubic meters annually.
Economic cooperation between the countries has continued to strengthen despite sweeping Western sanctions against Moscow. Bilateral trade hit a record $245 billion in 2024, underscoring the deepening ties.
Putin is expected to visit China next week. The meeting will include large-scale talks with Xi as well as participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that both countries value their privileged strategic partnership, which he said is difficult to overestimate.
Supplies from Gazprom soared nearly 30% in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the company’s CEO
China’s imports of Russian natural gas rose by 28.3% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2025, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller said on Thursday.
Speaking at a meeting with the heads of subsidiary companies and organizations, Miller added that the state-run energy giant continues to supply gas steadily and reliably to both domestic consumers and international partners.
Russia redirected its energy exports to Asia after EU buyers began phasing out Russian oil and gas following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 and the introduction of Western sanctions against Moscow.
Russia currently supplies gas to Asia’s largest economy via the Power of Siberia pipeline, part of a $400 billion, 30-year agreement signed between Gazprom and China’s state-owned CNPC in 2014. Deliveries began in 2019, and the pipeline reached full operational capacity in December 2024, making Russia the top supplier of natural gas to China.
Ranked among the world’s largest gas importers, China remains the second-biggest buyer of Russian gas. While the EU accounted for the largest share of Russia’s pipeline gas exports, purchasing 39%, China and Turkey each accounted for 27%.
In 2024, China’s pipeline gas imports from Russia reached $7.355 billion, reflecting a 14.29% increase compared to the previous year. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports also rose by 12.85%, according to Chinese customs data.
In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to accelerate the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project, which would nearly double Russia’s gas export capacity to China to 50 billion cubic meters annually.
Economic cooperation between the countries has continued to strengthen despite sweeping Western sanctions against Moscow. Bilateral trade hit a record $245 billion in 2024, underscoring the deepening ties.
Putin is expected to visit China next week. The meeting will include large-scale talks with Xi as well as participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that both countries value their privileged strategic partnership, which he said is difficult to overestimate.
An Iskander was reportedly used to take out a ground-based Neptune system
The Russian Defense Ministry has released video footage showing the moment of impact of what it claims was an Iskander strike that destroyed a Ukrainian long-range cruise missile launcher.
The strike reportedly took place in part of Russia’s Zaporozhye Region that is controlled by Kiev. According to the ministry, the ten Ukrainian servicemen operating the equipment were killed in the strike.
The Defense Ministry identified the Ukrainian launcher as a Neptune missile system. A separate video posted Thursday by a Telegram military channel appeared to show the same incident but contained indications that the crew may have managed to fire at least one missile before being hit.
The Neptune missile, first introduced in 2015 as an anti-ship weapon, can be fired from different platforms, including ground-mobile launchers, and can carry up to four projectiles. Prior to the escalation of the conflict with Russia, Ukrainian officials had promoted it as a potential way to threaten the Crimean Bridge.
Ukrainian media recently reported that an upgraded “long Neptun” variant of the missile had been developed that has an extended range of up to 1,000km, far above the original 300km.
An Iskander was reportedly used to take out a ground-based Neptune system
The Russian Defense Ministry has released video footage showing the moment of impact of what it claims was an Iskander strike that destroyed a Ukrainian long-range cruise missile launcher.
The strike reportedly took place in part of Russia’s Zaporozhye Region that is controlled by Kiev. According to the ministry, the ten Ukrainian servicemen operating the equipment were killed in the strike.
The Defense Ministry identified the Ukrainian launcher as a Neptune missile system. A separate video posted Thursday by a Telegram military channel appeared to show the same incident but contained indications that the crew may have managed to fire at least one missile before being hit.
The Neptune missile, first introduced in 2015 as an anti-ship weapon, can be fired from different platforms, including ground-mobile launchers, and can carry up to four projectiles. Prior to the escalation of the conflict with Russia, Ukrainian officials had promoted it as a potential way to threaten the Crimean Bridge.
Ukrainian media recently reported that an upgraded “long Neptun” variant of the missile had been developed that has an extended range of up to 1,000km, far above the original 300km.
Moscow has said it opposes “one-sided” options aimed solely at containing Russia
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that a complete framework of “security guarantees” for Kiev in case of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia will be ready as early as next week.
In a Telegram post on Thursday, Zelensky said he had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that they had “discussed the next diplomatic steps” to settle the conflict.
“There has been a lot of talk about security guarantees. National security advisers are currently working on the development of each specific component, and next week the entire configuration will be on paper,” Zelensky added.
According to the Ukrainian leader, Erdogan involved his defense minister in the process to examine “how Türkiye can help guarantee security, including in the Black Sea.”
Erdogan’s office confirmed the call, saying Ankara would continue efforts to secure a “lasting peace” and stood ready to contribute to Ukraine’s security once hostilities end.
Last week, Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa said Western officials were working on security guarantees, promising that a first draft would be prepared by the end of August. He stressed, however, that Kiev “is categorically against trading our land for peace,” although earlier media reports suggested that Ukraine could agree to concede territories to Moscow.
This week, Politico reported that European leaders were eyeing a proposal for a 40km buffer zone between Russian and Ukrainian lines in a ceasefire scenario, potentially patrolled by Western troops. Another discussion reportedly revolved around involving a neutral third country to oversee the enforcement of a truce.
Russia has said it is not against the concept of security guarantees for Ukraine, but stressed that any framework must involve UN Security Council members. Moscow has categorically opposed the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine in any form, reiterating that it seeks to address the root causes of the conflict, including the bloc’s expansion toward Russian borders.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also criticized Western plans to limit the number of guarantor states to key NATO countries, adding that “the options proposed by the ‘collective West’ are one-sided and clearly aimed at containing Russia.”
Moscow has said it opposes “one-sided” options aimed solely at containing Russia
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that a complete framework of “security guarantees” for Kiev in case of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia will be ready as early as next week.
In a Telegram post on Thursday, Zelensky said he had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that they had “discussed the next diplomatic steps” to settle the conflict.
“There has been a lot of talk about security guarantees. National security advisers are currently working on the development of each specific component, and next week the entire configuration will be on paper,” Zelensky added.
According to the Ukrainian leader, Erdogan involved his defense minister in the process to examine “how Türkiye can help guarantee security, including in the Black Sea.”
Erdogan’s office confirmed the call, saying Ankara would continue efforts to secure a “lasting peace” and stood ready to contribute to Ukraine’s security once hostilities end.
Last week, Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa said Western officials were working on security guarantees, promising that a first draft would be prepared by the end of August. He stressed, however, that Kiev “is categorically against trading our land for peace,” although earlier media reports suggested that Ukraine could agree to concede territories to Moscow.
This week, Politico reported that European leaders were eyeing a proposal for a 40km buffer zone between Russian and Ukrainian lines in a ceasefire scenario, potentially patrolled by Western troops. Another discussion reportedly revolved around involving a neutral third country to oversee the enforcement of a truce.
Russia has said it is not against the concept of security guarantees for Ukraine, but stressed that any framework must involve UN Security Council members. Moscow has categorically opposed the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine in any form, reiterating that it seeks to address the root causes of the conflict, including the bloc’s expansion toward Russian borders.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also criticized Western plans to limit the number of guarantor states to key NATO countries, adding that “the options proposed by the ‘collective West’ are one-sided and clearly aimed at containing Russia.”
Moscow has accused the European powers of abusing the UN snapback mechanism against Tehran
Russia has condemned the decision by the UK, France, and Germany to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, calling the move a manipulation of international law. The three European countries accused Tehran of failing to meet its nuclear commitments and argued this justifies restoring the sanctions.
The accusations were made in a letter sent on Thursday by London, Paris, and Berlin to the UN that argues that Iran has not fulfilled its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. The agreement eased UN sanctions in exchange for limits on Tehran’s nuclear program. The US exited the accord in 2018, effectively killing the deal, before re-imposing its own sanctions. The European trio argued that their letter is enough to trigger the snapback mechanism of the agreement.
However, in a statement on Friday, Moscow said the letter had been falsely presented as a step that automatically restarts sanctions and insisted it carries no legal weight. The Foreign Ministry described the move as an arbitrary attempt to bend UN rules for political purposes and warned that it undermines international efforts to find negotiated solutions. The Russian statement said such actions could lead to “irreparable consequences and a new tragedy” if not reversed.
Iran has also condemned the move as “illegal, null and void,” claiming that London, Paris and Berlin have no legal or moral authority to invoke the snapback clause after failing to honor their own commitments. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi threatened to take the “necessary counter-measures” and warned that Tehran could terminate cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency if sanctions are re-imposed.
China also rejected the initiative and presented detailed arguments dismissing the snapback attempt. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said restoring sanctions on Iran “is not a constructive move” and warned it would disrupt efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
The US, meanwhile, welcomed the Western European step. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains open to talks with Tehran but stressed that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. His remarks came two months after the US, together with Israel, carried out a series of strikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities.
Moscow has accused the European powers of abusing the UN snapback mechanism against Tehran
Russia has condemned the decision by the UK, France, and Germany to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, calling the move a manipulation of international law. The three European countries accused Tehran of failing to meet its nuclear commitments and argued this justifies restoring the sanctions.
The accusations were made in a letter sent on Thursday by London, Paris, and Berlin to the UN that argues that Iran has not fulfilled its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. The agreement eased UN sanctions in exchange for limits on Tehran’s nuclear program. The US exited the accord in 2018, effectively killing the deal, before re-imposing its own sanctions. The European trio argued that their letter is enough to trigger the snapback mechanism of the agreement.
However, in a statement on Friday, Moscow said the letter had been falsely presented as a step that automatically restarts sanctions and insisted it carries no legal weight. The Foreign Ministry described the move as an arbitrary attempt to bend UN rules for political purposes and warned that it undermines international efforts to find negotiated solutions. The Russian statement said such actions could lead to “irreparable consequences and a new tragedy” if not reversed.
Iran has also condemned the move as “illegal, null and void,” claiming that London, Paris and Berlin have no legal or moral authority to invoke the snapback clause after failing to honor their own commitments. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi threatened to take the “necessary counter-measures” and warned that Tehran could terminate cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency if sanctions are re-imposed.
China also rejected the initiative and presented detailed arguments dismissing the snapback attempt. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said restoring sanctions on Iran “is not a constructive move” and warned it would disrupt efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
The US, meanwhile, welcomed the Western European step. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains open to talks with Tehran but stressed that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. His remarks came two months after the US, together with Israel, carried out a series of strikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities.
