French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy have jointly accused the Kremlin of deliberately stalling a response to a United States-backed ceasefire proposal, which Ukraine accepted over three weeks ago.
Speaking during a press conference in Brussels on Friday, the two ministers called on Moscow to provide a definitive response, warning that Russian inaction is undermining prospects for a temporary pause in the conflict.
“Our judgement is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet,” Lammy said, standing alongside Barrot. The French foreign minister added, “Russia owes an answer to the United States.” Both officials pointed to continued Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as evidence of Moscow’s lack of intent to engage seriously with the ceasefire plan.
The ceasefire proposal, supported by Washington, calls for a 30-day halt in fighting across the frontlines, including the Black Sea region. The United States has publicly stated that the proposal covers a freeze on attacks against “energy and infrastructure”, but Russian officials have reportedly interpreted this more narrowly, applying it only to energy-related targets.
Despite this, Ukraine claims Russian forces have struck its energy infrastructure at least eight times since the proposal was presented. According to Ukrainian presidential aide Dmytro Lytvyn, Kyiv’s air defences have intercepted hundreds of drones targeting such facilities. This, Western officials argue, illustrates Moscow’s disregard for the proposed terms.
“Russia has been flip-flopping, continuing its strikes on energy infrastructure, continuing its war crimes,” Barrot said. “It has to be ‘yes.’ It has to be ‘no.’ It has to be a quick answer.” He also cited the recent Russian presidential order to draft 160,000 conscripts as further proof that the Kremlin has no intention of de-escalating its military campaign in Ukraine.
The press conference comes amid broader discussions within the so-called “coalition of the willing” – a grouping of Western countries providing political and military support to Ukraine – on how best to prepare for a possible ceasefire. Barrot indicated that while planning is underway to monitor any cessation of hostilities, including deployment options and verification mechanisms, these preparations remain theoretical without a clear Russian commitment.
“We are actively working on options to monitor a ceasefire,” he said, “but we need a clear and unequivocal response from the Russian authorities to the proposal – even if that response is a refusal.”
Lammy echoed this sentiment, saying that any future ceasefire must be verifiable and enforceable. “We are committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he said. “But any pause in fighting must include robust safeguards to prevent Russia from using it as an opportunity to regroup or reposition its forces.”
The issue has also drawn criticism from Washington. US President Donald Trump, speaking on Sunday, expressed frustration at the lack of progress. “I’m very angry, pissed off,” he told NBC News, blaming both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for not doing enough to end the war. Trump said that while negotiations were ongoing, he would consider imposing secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports if no agreement could be reached and Moscow was deemed responsible for the impasse.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault,” Trump said, “I am going to put secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov acknowledged that Moscow views the current proposal as unworkable. “We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can’t accept it all in its current form,” Ryabkov told the foreign ministry’s International Affairs magazine earlier this week.
Against this backdrop, Barrot and Lammy’s joint statement appears aimed at increasing diplomatic pressure on the Kremlin while also signalling to allies and partners that preparations are in motion should conditions for a ceasefire emerge. European officials have said that any monitoring mission would likely involve multiple states and could be facilitated by international organisations such as the OSCE or the UN, though final arrangements remain speculative.
