MOSCOW. Feb 18 (Interfax) - The European Union's participation in the Ukraine talks is ruled out, yet it may play a role in settling the conflict by stopping military and other assistance to Kiev, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Tuesday.
"There is nothing to suggest the possibility of any breakthrough [in relations with Europe] today. For some reason, EU member states and Europeans are demanding a place at the negotiating table to settle the Ukraine conflict. This is astounding," Grushko told the press in Moscow.
"The whole idea of the European policy is to prevent the conflict from ending by political and diplomatic means and to continue it until the full victory over Russia and its strategic defeat," he said.
"Actually, this rules out any role of the EU and European states in the upcoming negotiations on settling the Ukraine conflict," Grushko said.
"If Europe really wants to play a role in settling the conflict, this is easy to do by stopping any military and other support for the Kiev regime," he said.