MOSCOW/KYIV/PARIS/BERLIN - The US recent approval of the sale of 3,350 air-launched Extended-Range Attack Munitions system missiles to Ukraine runs counter to its claimed willingness to resolve the conflict in Ukraine by diplomatic means, said the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
Russia has repeatedly pointed out that military assistance to Ukraine will essentially only "prolong its suffering" and risk causing the conflict to spiral out of control, spokesperson for the ministry Maria Zakharova added.
Zakharova made the remarks at a press conference during the 10th Eastern Economic Forum being held in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, which runs from Sept 3 to 6.
The United States on Aug 28 announced the approval of the missile sale worth $825 million, funded mainly by some European countries, according to media reports. The move came after US President Donald Trump met earlier in August with Russian President Vladimir Putin and separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported that the missiles will be delivered to Ukraine in about six weeks.
Regarding European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's recent remarks about "pretty precise plans" for European troops to be deployed to Ukraine post-conflict, Zakharova told a press conference that such a move "will undermine the security of everyone" and is "fundamentally unacceptable".
Protecting Ukrainian airspace
Also on Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine has proposed to the US a new format for protecting Ukrainian airspace.
"Ukraine has proposed a format for protecting our skies for the US to consider," Zelensky said in a post on X after his conversation with Trump, adding that they discussed ways to push toward real peace.
According to Zelensky's press service, the conversation with Trump took place following a meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" in Paris, which was also attended by von der Leyen, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and leaders of European countries.
Speaking alongside Zelensky at a press conference following the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that 26 countries, mostly European, have formally pledged to deploy troops as part of a future Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire, though not directly on the front line.
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Macron said the countries would contribute to a "reassurance force" that could deploy troops in Ukraine or provide support on land, at sea, or in the air.
Zelensky welcomed the announcement as a "concrete" step forward and stressed that a meeting with Putin, whether bilateral or trilateral, is "necessary" for advancing peace efforts.
The announcement followed a virtual meeting of the coalition on Thursday, co-chaired by Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The group, which brought together around 30 countries, mostly European, has committed to providing security guarantees to Ukraine.
Germany's military engagement in Ukraine's security
At the same meeting, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated the country's decision on any future direct military involvement in Ukraine's security guarantees will be influenced by the type and extent of the US' involvement, among other factors.
Europe is ready to make a decisive contribution of security guarantees to Ukraine once a negotiated solution is reached, Merz was quoted in the statement as saying.
Germany focuses its efforts to enhance its role in financing, arming, and training the Ukrainian armed forces, he noted, adding that a decision on any direct military involvement by Germany would be considered at an appropriate time when the framework conditions are clear.
He said the conditions include the nature and scale of involvement from the United States and the outcome of the negotiation process.
Merz also stressed the need to continue working towards a peace summit that includes Zelensky, with the goal of securing a ceasefire.
