Russia wants 'quick peace' in Ukraine and London is 'head of those resisting it', ambassador to UK tells Sky News

Russia wants "quick peace" in Ukraine and London is at the "head of those resisting" it, the Russian ambassador to the UK has told Sky News.

In an interview on The World With Yalda Hakim, Andrei Kelin accused the UK, France and other European nations of not wanting to end the war in Ukraine.

"We are prepared to negotiate and to talk," he said. "We have our position. If we can strike a negotiated settlement... we need a very serious approach to that and a very serious agreement about all of that - and about security in Europe."

US President Donald Trump held a surprise phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last month, shocking America's European allies. He went on to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and relations between the pair were left in tatters after a meeting in the Oval Office descended into a shouting match.

Days later, the US leader suspended military aid to Ukraine, though there were signs the relationship between the two leaders appeared to be on the mend following the contentious White House meeting last week, with Mr Trump saying he "appreciated" a letter from Mr Zelenskyy saying Kyiv was ready to sign a minerals agreement with Washington "at any time".

In his interview with Sky News, Mr Kelin said he was "not surprised" the US has changed its position on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022, claiming Mr Trump "knows the history of the conflict".

"He knows history and is very different from European leaders," he added.

Peace deal 'should recognise Russian advances'

The Russian ambassador said Moscow had told Washington it believed its territorial advances in Ukraine "should be recognised" as part of any peace deal.

"What we will need is a new Ukraine as a neutral, non-nuclear state," he said. "The territorial situation should be recognised. These territories have been included in our constitution and we will continue to push that all forces of the Ukrainian government will leave these territories."

Asked if he thought the Americans would agree to give occupied Ukrainian land to Russia, he said: "I don't think we have discussed it seriously. [From] what I have read, the Americans actually understand the reality."

Moscow rules out NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine

He said Russia "categorically ruled out" the prospect of NATO peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine - a proposal made by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron - saying "they have no rules of engagement" and so would just be "sitting in cities".

"It's senseless" and "not for reality," Mr Kelin added.

He branded the temporary ceasefire raised by Mr Zelenskyy "a crazy idea", and said: "We will never accept it and they perfectly are aware of that.

"We will only accept the final version, when we are going to sign it. Until then things are very shaky."

He added: "We're trying to find a resolution on the battlefield, until the US administration suggest something constructive."

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