The UK, German and French envoys meet Lavrov's deputy in Moscow Russia Preparing for Potential War with NATO After Ukraine – Major Joint Investigation
Ambassadors from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin in Moscow on June 11, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The meeting involved Nigel Casey, Nicolas de Riviere, and Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, whose countries have been among Ukraine's strongest European supporters and have recently taken a more active role in discussions over a possible peace process.
According to Moscow, Russian officials presented what they described as an "objective assessment of the destructive policies" of Western countries, accusing them of continuing to support Ukraine through the Coalition of the Willing. The Russian Foreign Ministry again repeated its demand to address the so-called "root causes of the conflict" — a phrase frequently used by the Kremlin to justify opposition to an immediate ceasefire and to press for territorial concessions from Ukraine.
The European ambassadors used the meeting to present the position outlined by the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ukraine at their June 7 meeting in London. In a joint statement, the envoys supported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, with participation from the United States and European countries, aimed at achieving a ceasefire and moving toward further talks.
The European side also criticized Russia's recent escalation of attacks and what it described as intensified disinformation campaigns connected to the war.
French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere described the discussion as a "good discussion" in brief comments to reporters after leaving the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The talks followed the June 7 meeting in London between Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, and Zelensky. The leaders, meeting in the E3 format, called for a ceasefire based on the current front line, stronger security guarantees for Ukraine, European involvement in negotiations, and Russian compensation for war-related damage.
The European Commission said that talks are occurring through various channels but noted that there are currently no indications that Moscow is prepared to accept a just and lasting peace agreement. European Commission foreign affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper said: "We want peace. Ukraine wants peace," while emphasizing the EU's assessment of Russia's current position.
Some European officials have expressed concern that separate national-level contacts with Moscow could create divisions within Europe. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys warned that discussions outside established EU frameworks could allow Russia to exploit disagreements among European countries.
The meeting highlights the growing European effort to shape diplomatic initiatives around the war, while Moscow continues to publicly reject proposals for an immediate ceasefire and maintains its demand for negotiations based on its own conditions.
Russia preparing for potential war with NATO after Ukraine – major loint investigation
Russia is actively building new military infrastructure near NATO’s eastern borders in preparation for a possible large-scale conflict with the Alliance once the war in Ukraine ends. According to a joint investigation by SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), NRK (Norway), and Delfi (Estonia), new satellite images reveal extensive construction of barracks, ammunition depots, military camps, and large concentrations of equipment close to the borders of Finland, Norway, and Poland. These developments suggest Moscow is creating facilities that can rapidly accommodate tens of thousands of additional troops.
The number of Russian forces near the Finnish border could potentially increase from the current 20,000 to as many as 80,000 soldiers. With a total army size of around 1.5 million personnel and a well-developed system for rapid troop and equipment deployment, Russia is clearly preparing the necessary infrastructure for a future confrontation. Experts warn that any war on NATO’s eastern flank would not be a limited conflict, but an existential struggle requiring full mobilization of the Alliance’s member states.
More than half of Poles view Ukraine more negatively due to the military unit name controversy -poll
More than half of Poles say their attitude toward Ukraine and Ukrainians has worsened following a controversy over Kyiv naming a Ukrainian military unit after a World War II-era nationalist organization, according to a survey published by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita on June 11.
The poll, conducted by Warsaw-based research agency SW Research, found that 51.9% of respondents said the dispute negatively affected their perception of Ukraine. Meanwhile, 31.9% said the controversy had no impact on their views. The online survey was conducted on June 9–10 among a representative sample of 800 people.
The decline in support was particularly noticeable among men, younger respondents, people with vocational education, and those with monthly incomes below 3,000 Polish zloty (around $810), according to the survey.
The dispute was triggered after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approved the naming of a Ukrainian special forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist military organization founded in 1942.
The issue is highly sensitive in Poland because of the UPA's association with the Volhynia massacres, during which tens of thousands of Poles were killed in territories that are now western Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainians were also killed in retaliatory Polish attacks. Ukraine, meanwhile, emphasizes the UPA's role in fighting Soviet rule and seeking Ukrainian independence.
The controversy prompted criticism from Polish officials, including President Karol Nawrocki, who suggested Zelenskyy could lose Poland's highest state honor, awarded to him in 2023 by former president Andrzej Duda.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for dialogue between the two countries and warned against allowing Russia to benefit from divisions between Warsaw and Kyiv.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the Ukrainian soldiers who requested the unit's name had no intention of expressing hostility toward Poland.
"For them, it was about honoring those who, similarly many years ago, fought against imperial Moscow, Bolshevik-communist occupation, and repression."
Despite the dispute, Poland remains one of Ukraine's most important partners since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Warsaw has provided a major logistical route for Western military assistance to Ukraine and continues to host a large Ukrainian refugee community. However, relations between the two neighbors have repeatedly been affected by unresolved historical disputes, especially over interpretations of events during and after World War II.