“We reiterate our repeatedly expressed position that we deny any scenarios that envisage the deployment of a military contingent to Ukraine with the participation of NATO states, which could lead to an uncontrollable escalation of the conflict with unpredictable consequences,” she said.

Zakharova told London to “abandon risky and ill-considered geopolitical gambits” and “not interfere with the painstaking work of Russian and U.S. negotiators.”

“Against the backdrop of the genuine desire demonstrated by the Russian and U.S. leadership in Anchorage for a comprehensive, fair, and sustainable settlement of the conflict around Ukraine, including the elimination of its root causes, statements continue to pour out of London that not only clash with the efforts of Moscow and Washington, but are also clearly aimed at undermining them,” she added.

Zakharova’s statement touted what it viewed as London’s uniquely prominent role in causing the war, reflecting a long-running theme in Russia of viewing the United Kingdom as its age-old archnemesis.

“London is obsessed with the desire to constantly raise the stakes in the conflict and pushes NATO partners to a dangerous brink, beyond which a new global conflict is not far off,” she said.

The issue of a military contingent providing security guarantees could be a major hurdle in peace negotiations, especially as President Donald Trump appeared to be under the impression that Moscow would tolerate European ground troops in Ukraine. He said Germany and France specifically were looking to send ground troops.

“When it comes to security, [European countries] are willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably, air, because nobody has the kind of stuff we have, really, they don’t have [it]. But I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” Trump said in a Tuesday interview with Fox News.

“There will be some form of security. It can’t be NATO because that’s just not something that would ever, ever happen,” he said.

The president then appeared to suggest that Ukraine would take on a neutral stance after the war’s conclusion, one of Russia’s primary goals.

“I mean, if you were Russia, would you want your enemy, your opponent, sitting on your line? You don’t do that. So it was always thought that Ukraine was a sort of a buffer between Russia and the rest of Europe. And it was a big, wide buffer. Everything worked out well until [former President Joe] Biden got involved,” Trump said.

Aside from Starmer, Zakharova was vocally critical of the European leaders’ comments at Monday’s Oval Office meeting, especially those of Finnish President Alexander Stubb. He had cryptically stated that, regarding Russia, “We found a solution in 1944, and I’m sure that we’ll be able to find a solution in 2025 to end Russia’s war of aggression.” The remarks triggered widespread outrage in Russia.

After being overwhelmed by Soviet forces in the 1939–1940 Winter War, Finland allied itself with Nazi Germany and participated in its invasion of the USSR in June 1941. While avoiding the worst crimes of Operation Barbarossa, Helsinki operated concentration camps for Russian civilians in eastern Karelia and joined in the Siege of Leningrad, the bloodiest siege in history that killed an estimated 1.5 million Russians. Finland’s participation in the siege and crimes against Russian civilians is a lasting point of bitterness.

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Despite Stubb’s insinuation, the Red Army invaded Finland in 1944 and forced it to capitulate. As part of the peace deal, Finland ceded more territory, paid war reparations, downsized its military, and had to declare war on its Nazi allies. Helsinki adopted a position of permanent neutrality until 2023.

Zakharova wrote a long diatribe against Stubb, rhetorically asking, “Did Stubb understand the full hell of his statement?” After detailing Finnish crimes against Russian civilians and Jews, she suggested that Finland should follow his advice to “act like in 1944” and “start fighting the Kiev regime.”