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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused European countries Saturday of trying to obstruct efforts to end the war in Ukraine, saying Europe was working against peace talks supported by the U.S. administration.
Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Lavrov said European governments were seeking to block negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
"Europe is doing everything it can to thwart peace talks in which the Trump administration is interested," Lavrov said.
His remarks came after he met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York this week. U.S. President Donald Trump also said earlier at the General Assembly that a deal between Russia and Ukraine was "going to happen."
U.S.-led efforts to end the fighting have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.
Lavrov said Moscow would continue pursuing its objectives in Ukraine regardless of circumstances.
"The aims of the special military operation will be achieved, the threat to Russian security will be eliminated and peaceful life will come back," Lavrov said, using Moscow's term for the war. "This will happen no matter the circumstances."
Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed at least 16 people over the previous 24 hours, according to both countries.
Ukraine said Russian strikes killed at least six people in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and the Dnipropetrovsk region, including a 17-year-old girl.
Russia said Ukrainian attacks killed four people in the Krasnodar and Belgorod regions, while Kremlin-installed officials in occupied southern Ukraine said six others were killed.
Daytime strikes on Kyiv also killed seven people Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Russia was "escalating every single day" and called for additional sanctions against Moscow.
Moscow has intensified attacks on Kyiv as the city prepares for another winter of war, while Ukraine has carried out strikes deeper inside Russia, reaching the Urals and Siberia.
Before his U.N. speech, Lavrov met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in the first meeting between the countries' foreign ministers since before the war.
The talks came amid increased tensions between Berlin and Moscow. Germany has accused Russia of orchestrating an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport, while the two countries have ordered the closure of each other's consulates.
European governments, including Germany, have also raised concerns about what they describe as increased Russian sabotage activity.
A German diplomat said Wadephul called on Russia to abandon what he described as a "dangerous path of escalation" toward Germany, Europe and NATO.
The diplomat said incidents, including the attempted Leipzig attack and other alleged hybrid operations, would not weaken Germany's support for Ukraine.
Lavrov, meanwhile, criticized Germany during his General Assembly address and opposed additional Western representation in the U.N. Security Council.
"U.N. Security Council reform cannot involve any additional seats being allocated to Western countries, especially to Germany and Japan, who are now on the path to militarism," he said.
Lavrov also addressed tensions in the Gulf, saying Russia was prepared to help stabilize the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region as the U.S.-Iran conflict continued.
"We need trust in the relationships between the Gulf states, the Arab states, and Iran. We need stable regional architecture," Lavrov said.
"Russia, together with other responsible states, stands ready to constructively contribute to stabilizing this strategically important region."
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