'Russia is not really interested in peace', Sweden's foreign minister tells Europe Today

Published connected 11/05/2026 - 10:23 GMT+2•Updated 10:24

During a unrecorded interrogation connected Euronews' flagship regular greeting show, Sweden’s overseas curate Maria Malmer Stenegard said Russia is “not truly funny successful peace”.

Malmer Stenegard dismissed rumours of imaginable mediators betwixt Moscow and Kyiv, including erstwhile German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The curate said the absorption should stay connected expanding unit connected the Kremlin alternatively than pursuing negotiations.

Speaking aft Saturday's muted Victory Day subject parade successful Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin had suggested Russia's struggle with Ukraine could beryllium drafting to a end. He condemned NATO and Western enactment for Kyiv.

But Malmer Stenegard insisted that Russia is not funny successful peace.

“They are trying antithetic manoeuvres, but we request to support our absorption wherever it needs to be, and that is connected expanding the unit connected Russia and expanding the enactment for Ukraine," she said.

During talks this Monday successful Brussels, European Union (EU) ministers volition absorption connected Russia’s penetration of Ukraine and the struggle successful the Middle East. They anticipation to grow the EU's blacklist of Russian individuals liable for the deportation and forced adoption of Ukrainian children, portion besides moving guardant with sanctions against Israeli settlers.

Malmer Stenegard feels that sooner oregon later, the EU volition person to speech to Moscow but that present the absorption should beryllium connected changing the calculus.

The Swedish overseas curate besides pointed to a displacement successful ambiance successful the country successful Brussels pursuing the accomplishment of Hungary’s caller authorities nether Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

“There are a batch much smiles successful the country nowadays,” she said, adding that Europe present had “better possibilities” to enactment much rapidly and decisively connected cardinal geopolitical issues, peculiarly enactment for Ukraine.

On the Middle East, Malmer Stenegard said Sweden supported expanding unit connected Israel implicit the humanitarian concern successful Gaza and increasing unit successful the occupied West Bank. She said the EU should determination guardant with sanctions not lone connected convulsive settlers, but besides connected “extremist ministers successful the Israeli government.”

“We anticipation we tin get the settlers implicit the decorativeness line. It’s been agelong overdue,” a elder diplomat said.

Watch the afloat interrogation successful the subordinate above.