"Oreshnik" is Russian PR stunt that does not alter course of war, - Latvian Foreign Ministry
The Russian Federation has made no real progress on the front lines, while Ukraine is growing stronger despite the attacks and propaganda.
According to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform, this was stated by Artems Uršulskis, Parliamentary Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, prior to the start of the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
"Oreshnik is a great PR story, according to Putin. We’ve seen a few strikes and a lot of reports about them, but in reality nothing is changing, and I think Russia is proving that it is growing weaker on the battlefield. We see that they can’t really make any progress; they can’t even achieve any of their objectives," he noted.
Europe should put pressure on Russia's revenue and not rush into negotiations
Ursulskis emphasized that sanctions targeting the energy sector—particularly restrictions on oil revenues—must remain the key tool for exerting pressure on Russia, as the "shadow fleet" continues to finance the war and poses risks to critical EU infrastructure.
He also stressed that it is too early to talk about direct negotiations between Europe and Russia at this point:
"I don't think we've reached that point yet, but the first and foremost condition must be Russia's willingness to engage in genuine negotiations. They aren't ready. They aren't trying to participate in meaningful peace talks," he said.
According to him, Ukraine and Europe have already demonstrated their willingness to agree to a ceasefire, but Russia has rejected such proposals.
The EU must be involved in the peace process
Ursulskis also stressed that Europe’s participation in the upcoming negotiations is essential, as the war directly affects the security of the entire continent.
"Ukraine is Europe, and this concerns the security of all of Europe… this is already a tangible impact of the war on the European Union," he noted.
At the same time, he added that he sees no signs of a change in the Kremlin’s policy:
"Unfortunately, we don't believe that Russia will change… Russia is determined to be an aggressor in this part of the world," Uršulskis concluded.
