EU Officials: Russia Demonstrates ‘Complete Disrespect’ for the Peace Talks
European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated at a briefing in Brussels on April 7 that Russia shows "complete disrespect" for the peace talks by continuing killings and atrocities in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media.
The spokesperson emphasized that Russia has no interest in the effectiveness of peace talks and, by attacking Ukraine and its people, demonstrates a lack of respect for them.
“When it comes to the actions Russia shows every day, including the recent attacks that killed at least 20 civilians, including 9 children, Russia shows complete disrespect for the negotiations. It has demonstrated every day that it has no interest in them,” said Ms. Hipper.
She added that it is indeed “very important to ensure a ceasefire so that we have lasting and comprehensive peace.”
“But we cannot be naïve when dealing with Putin and when we see his bloody attacks every day,” the European Commission spokesperson emphasized.
Nevertheless, the European Commission considers the continuation of peace talks “very important.”
“But the result of these peace talks should be a stronger Ukraine, because Putin does not respect weakness. We must put Ukraine in a position of strength. That is why we have committed ourselves to increasing our defense support and our capabilities in this regard,” said Anitta Hipper.
On Friday evening, Russian forces fired a missile at the city of Kryvyi Rih in eastern Ukraine. As a result of the attack, 18 people were killed, including 9 children, and more than 60 others were injured, including 12 children.
Furthermore, on the night of April 5–6, a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv caused significant destruction to a building housing the editorial offices of Ukraine’s International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform (IBMPU), which includes The Gaze among its international media outlets.
As The Gaze previously reported, the number of Russian drone strikes surged by over 50% following the start of negotiations on February 18. Experts argue that this dramatic increase is a calculated attempt by the Kremlin to pressure Kyiv into concessions and secure territorial gains before any potential ceasefire.