Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has revealed Russia’s real objectives in peace negotiations. On 9 June, he said that after talks in Istanbul, Moscow would continue to fight against Ukraine, but is ready to address humanitarian issues through diplomacy, TASS reports. 

Lavrov made this statement at the Future Forum 2050 in Moscow. 

“The special operation will be continued after negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul. However, Russia is ready to simultaneously advance the resolution of humanitarian issues through diplomacy,” Lavrov said.

One cannot exist if other does: Kremlin directly says war on Ukraine is about elimination, not land

At the same time, the Russian foreign minister added that Ukraine allegedly shows “growing terrorist threats.”

“Risks of growing terrorist threats exist. We see them and will do everything to ensure they are suppressed and do not harm our citizens,” he declared.

He also accused Britain of helping carry out attacks on targets within Russian territory, conveniently forgetting about Russia’s own strikes on Ukraine.

According to him, Ukraine “would be helpless without British support.” Lavrov also did not overlook the US’s involvement in the operation, according to UNIAN.

“Who knows, maybe US intelligence services are also involved, but the British—100%,” he said.

Also, Errol Musk, Elon Musk’s father, came to Moscow for the forum, Channel 24 reports. He praised Russia and Putin personally. He regretted not having visited Russia earlier, as it is “incredible.”

This is not his first statement of this kind. Previously, he argued that Putin “says logical things,” forgetting to mention that Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed nearly 13,000 civilians, including 618 children.

Cooperation between the United States and the European Union on preventing Russian sanctions evasion has broken down, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on 27 May. According to a cited leaked internal report from Germany’s Foreign Ministry, the EU’s Special Representative for Sanctions, David O’Sullivan, told a closed-door meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 20 May in Brussels that there is “no joint outreach” with the US anymore. He also noted that G7 cooperation on the matter had “lost momentum.”

The leak suggests that European hopes for a united front against Russia’s sanctions circumvention are rapidly eroding. While a new 18th package of EU sanctions is being prepared in response to renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, the lack of US participation raises doubts about global enforcement capacity.

Trump’s presidency and Chinese role in sanctions evasion

Süddeutsche Zeitung notes that some experts suggest that US President Donald Trump “would rather resume doing business with Russia today than tomorrow.” Normalization with Russia “will mean an end to the global sanctions regime,” Green MEP Sergey Lagodinsky warned. German MP Johann Wadephul warned that the new EU sanctions “will be financially painful for Russia” but acknowledged doubts about future American involvement, despite stating that “there will be a clear reaction from the West” to Russia’s attacking Ukraine instead of negotiating peace.

China plays a key role in sanctions evasion, the leaked report finds. EU sanctions commissioner David O’Sullivan told the EU Foreign Affairs Council that “around 80%” of such cases are tied to China, which denies involvement. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Chief of Ukraine Oleh Ivashchenko said Chinese firms are supplying essential materials to 20 Russian arms factories.

EU cracks down on third countries, Russia’s shadow fleet, and eyes Russia’s energy and banking sectors

Despite the breakdown in US-EU coordination, the EU has reportedly achieved some success in blocking war-related exports via third countries. Export channels through Armenia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, and India have seen disruptions. However, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and the UAE remain problematic transit points, the document notes.

Efforts against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — tankers and cargo ships used to bypass sanctions — have seen some progress. According to O’Sullivan, multiple nations have stripped Russian-linked ships of their flags following EU pressure. However, he urged further measures against ports used frequently by these vessels, including those in Türkiye, India, and Malaysia.

The next EU sanctions package is expected to hit Russia’s energy and financial sectors, though Russia’s ally Hungary opposes these measures and has shown “no willingness to compromise,” the document adds.