Swedish FM says focus should be on sanctions, not talks with Moscow

During a live interview on Euronews’ flagship daily morning show, Sweden’s foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has said Russia is “not really interested in peace”.

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Malmer Stenergard dismissed rumours of possible mediators between Moscow and Kyiv, including former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The minister said the focus should remain on increasing pressure on the Kremlin rather than pursuing negotiations.

“Sooner or later we will have to talk to Moscow,” Malmer Stenergard said. “But since Putin is not really interested in any serious peace talks, then I think we should focus on changing the calculus to make him interested in that.”

Changing the calculus, she said, would require concentrating on the next wave of sanctions and continued support for Ukraine.

Speaking after Saturday’s muted Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin had suggested Russia’s conflict with Ukraine could be drawing to a end. He condemned NATO and Western support for Kyiv.

But Malmer Stenergard insisted that Russia is not interested in peace.

“They are trying different manoeuvres, but we need to keep our focus where it needs to be, and that is on increasing the pressure on Russia and increasing the support for Ukraine.”

During their talks this Monday in Brussels, EU ministers will focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. They hope to expand the EU blacklist of Russian individuals responsible for the deportation and forced adoption of Ukrainian children, while also moving forward with sanctions against Israeli settlers. Malmer Stenergard feels that sooner or later, the EU will have to talk to Moscow but that now the focus should be on changing the calculus.

The Swedish foreign minister also pointed to a shift in atmosphere in the room in Brussels following the arrival of Hungary’s new government under Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

“There are a lot more smiles in the room nowadays,” she said, adding that Europe now had “better possibilities” to act more quickly and decisively on key geopolitical issues, particularly support for Ukraine.

On the Middle East, Malmer Stenergard said Sweden supported increasing pressure on Israel over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and growing violence in the occupied West Bank. She said the EU should move forward with sanctions not only on violent settlers, but also on “extremist ministers in the Israeli government.”

“We hope we can get the settlers over the finish line. It’s been long overdue,” a senior diplomat said.

Watch the full interview in the player above.