Russia ‘categorically opposes’ any proposals to freeze conflict in Ukraine: Intel chief

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia firmly rejects any proposals to freeze the conflict in Ukraine, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on the outcome of the 20th Meeting of Heads of Security Agencies and Intelligence Services of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Sergey Naryshkin said that calls for freezing the conflict arise because battlefield momentum is currently in Russia's favor.

The focus of Western countries, according to Naryshkin, has shifted from defeating Moscow to avoiding their own "strategic defeat."

"Russia categorically opposes freezing the conflict, whether on a Korean model or any other. We seek a lasting and sustainable peace, primarily for Russia and its citizens, but also for the European continent," he said.

The intelligence chief reaffirmed Moscow’s openness to negotiations on terms outlined by President Vladimir Putin in June, urging the West to accept those conditions.

Naryshkin accused Western countries of attempting to destabilize the CIS space to distract Russia, citing the 2020 unrest in Belarus and riots in Kazakhstan.

According to him, CIS states are building a Eurasian security framework to resist external meddling and foster regional stability.

Naryshkin described Ukraine as a “failed state, manipulated by the West into becoming an anti-Russian tool,” adding that Moldova faces a similar trajectory.

He further accused Western intelligence agencies of employing terrorism to advance their geopolitical aims, citing the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions.

Additionally, Naryshkin warned of potential US attempts to exploit opposition groups in Belarus to incite unrest ahead of the upcoming 2025 presidential elections.