US president-elect Donald Trump will not change Washington’s “fundamental approach” to Ukraine, Russian officials have now claimed.
Sergey Lavrov, Moscow’s foreign minister, told the country’s media on November 13 that the United States has a continued interest in the region, one that will not be abandoned by the incoming Republican administration.
“Washington’s fundamental approach to Ukraine-related issues, as well as to those concerning Europe, will not change, because Washington will always seek to control everything that is happening within NATO’s orbit, especially on NATO territory,” Lavrov said as he set out Russia’s narrative about the ongoing conflict.
He went on to express doubt about the European Union’s status as a fully independent power, describing the bloc as more entwined with a NATO increasingly controlled by US interests.
“[T]he lines between the European Union and NATO are becoming blurred both militarily and politically,” he said.
“How [the United States] will exert this control is anyone’s guess, it’s not for me to speculate, but there are various options. But that they will want to keep these processes under their control is not in doubt,” Lavrov added.
Lavrov’s statements diverged from ones heard in Brussels, where many EU officials were nervous Donald Trump would abandon Kyiv in the pursuit of peace in the region.
European politicians have expressed concern such a goal of peace would only enable Russia to expand its control of Eastern Europe via military means in the future, with politicians from countries formerly under Soviet control warning against the establishment of a “bad” peace.
The foreign minister did echo claims from some of Trump’s opponents that the incoming president does not particularly care about Ukraine, saying instead that the United States would keep up its support of the country’s war effort only in the hopes of maintaining perceptions.
Lavrov meanwhile portrayed Russia as a large but substantially less powerful nation than the United States, which Washington wanted “put in its place” for publicly questioning American hegemony.
“They don’t care about Ukraine. They care about their reputation: they once said that Ukraine would have this government, but suddenly someone dared to object. Russia? A large country, indeed, but it needs to be put in its place,” Lavrov said.
“This is what it’s all about, it’s not about the fate of the Ukrainian people at all. They don’t care about the people,” he added.
Lavrov’s perceptions of future US foreign policy also agreed up with some Trump critics about China. The foreign minister said the White House would likely kick the issue of Russia down the road in favour of curtailing Beijing’s influence.
“The task of containing China was set by the administration of Joe Biden. I assume it will remain a priority for the administration of Donald Trump, too,” he said.
Russian narratives on their invasion of Ukraine have continued to shift since President Trump’s election victory earlier this month, with some officials pushing for peace with the West while others insisted the conflict would likely continue.
Trump himself has sent mixed signals about the conflict, vowing to bring peace to the region within days of his inauguration, while also appointing war hawks to senior positions within his cabinet.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reassured NATO allies of increased American support for Ukraine in the months ahead, vowing to bolster the alliance before any potential shifts in U.S. leadership. https://t.co/Yy8BlngXVF
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) November 13, 2024
