Russia slams Europe over Ukraine conflict, open to negotiations

European countries are doing everything in their power to encourage Kiev to continue the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"From our perspective, the key factor is the stance of European countries, they are sparing no effort to encourage the Kiev regime to keep fighting, and by doing so, they are effectively preventing the Kiev regime from engaging in negotiations," Peskov said, adding that Europe's role in escalating the war situation with Russia has been maximized.

He noted that Kiev would have acted differently if it had not been emboldened by Europe.

On Thursday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with other European leaders at a summit in Copenhagen, where he warned that recent drone incursions showed Russia was looking to escalate the conflict.

"The recent drone incidents across Europe are a clear sign that Russia still feels bold enough to escalate this war," Zelenskyy said.

"It was never just about Ukraine, Russia has always aimed to break the West and Europe."

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the accusations but said Russia was "closely monitoring the rising militarisation of Europe," adding that Moscow's response will be timely and "significant."

Putin accused Europe of stoking "hysteria" to justify rising military spending, and said Russia did not pose a threat. "Just calm down," he said.

Peskov said that European countries are trying to portray Russia as an "evil force." "That is why they plan to drastically increase their military spending," he emphasized, adding that Europe is obstructing efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.

He said that U.S. President Donald Trump's peace efforts to resolve the Ukraine situation have hit a wall due to "European militarism," adding that such efforts are nonetheless important. "Washington maintains the political will to work toward bringing the situation in Ukraine into a political and diplomatic framework, and Russia takes this fact into account," he said.

Peskov noted that Russia is now working to safeguard the interests of future generations, adding that the country will continue its special military operation while remaining open to negotiations.

In August, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the U.S. state of Alaska, making progress but reaching no deal on the Ukraine crisis.

Peskov said Sunday that Putin is willing to meet with Trump in Moscow, but the decision rests with the U.S. side.

(With input from agencies)