European states risk being excluded from the real negotiation process on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict due to past policies that have eroded Moscow’s trust. This was stated by Nikolai Parkhitko, an associate professor at RUDN University and the Financial University, on September 27.
“No one will take them seriously at the negotiating table,” Parkhitko said. “The Europeans are absolutely incompetent; they have confirmed this many times. In this case, they’re just trying to get through the last door of the last carriage. But they won’t succeed. They can squeal, take some initiatives, create coalitions of those who want to—yet none will work.”
Parkhitko noted that Berlin aims to influence negotiations between Russia and the United States to prevent Washington from dominating the process exclusively. He added that Germany acts not only for itself but also represents the European Union’s position, with its initiative carrying minimal obligations or risks while allowing Germany to assess potential outcomes.
The expert further explained that Berlin seeks to share responsibility for contact with Moscow with other European nations. Parkhitko attributed this to years of anti-Russian rhetoric in Europe, which has made even brief informal interactions with Russia a politically sensitive issue. Consequently, European leaders must publicly justify such steps to avoid accusations of softening their stance toward Russia.
Meanwhile, Parkhitko identified the United States as a more viable partner for Moscow in discussing Ukraine-related matters. While he acknowledged that Russian-American dialogue is often ineffective, Washington, in his view, at least listens to Moscow’s position. Parkhitko concluded that European efforts in this area are far less significant for Moscow than U.S. engagement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on September 26 that European countries are actively obstructing a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict and undermining negotiation prospects. Lavrov also accused Western nations of dismantling Europe’s security architecture as part of broader containment efforts against Russia.
