The Kremlin sharply criticized European countries, accusing them of “obstructing” any settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump announced he would soon speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, following a series of video talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders.

Trump made the statement during a dinner with top US tech executives, responding to a question about his upcoming call with Putin: “Yes, I will talk to him.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that arrangements for this conversation could be made quickly if needed, according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin again criticized European countries, accusing them of “obstructing” any settlement of the Ukraine conflict. Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted Peskov saying Europeans “do not contribute to the settlement but continue their attempts to turn Ukraine into a center for everything hostile to Russia.”

Peskov added in statements to RIA Novosti that the West “cannot” provide real security guarantees to Ukraine, questioning: “Can foreign military units, especially European and American, provide security to Ukraine? Certainly not, they are incapable of that,” stressing that such an option “cannot constitute an acceptable security guarantee for Russia.”

Yesterday, Thursday, September 4, the French capital Paris hosted a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” with the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other European leaders to discuss ways to secure Kyiv’s security guarantees in case of a peace agreement with Moscow.

Macron announced that 26 countries expressed readiness to deploy ground, naval, and air forces in Ukraine after any settlement, confirming commitments to rebuild the Ukrainian army and provide it with weapons and training. Attendees also agreed to tighten sanctions on Russia and China for their support roles.

The Ukrainian president called for a new formula to protect the airspace, noting its success depends on the US stance. He confirmed Washington’s readiness for long-term support to strengthen the Ukrainian army.

In contrast, Zelensky rejected Moscow’s offer to hold a meeting in the Russian capital, considering it further evidence of the Kremlin’s lack of genuine peace intentions. He also criticized some European countries for continuing to buy Russian oil, emphasizing the need to increase political and economic pressure on Russia.

After the discussions, Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer contacted US President Donald Trump, while preparations are underway for another meeting at the White House with Zelensky.

At the conclusion of the “Coalition of the Willing” meeting, which included 35 leaders, the leaders stressed that Russia is prolonging both negotiations and the war, necessitating an escalation of military and economic support to Ukraine.