Russia tries to present its aggression against Ukraine as a “European war” — Chaly

Russia is actively trying to shift the information narrative of the conflict, aiming to hide its role as the aggressor and portray it as a broader “European war.”

This was stated on Espreso TV by diplomat Valeriy Chaly in an interview with Anton Borkovsky.

According to him, the so-called “peace plan” currently being discussed in the U.S. is effectively a Kremlin initiative.

“We know for certain that this "peace plan" is a Russian creation involving Ushakov, Putin’s closest foreign policy advisor. Dmitriev is currently acting as a courier and liaison with the White House via Witkoff, and now more through Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law. This is Putin’s plan in its basic formulation,” Chaly said.

The diplomat notes that the document the Kremlin handed to Trump in Anchorage is not a plan but a set of demands: Ukraine must give up parts of its territory, change its internal policies, and limit its sovereignty.

At the same time, Chaly emphasizes that the current negotiation framework raises concerns due to a lack of clear positions.

“We are concerned because we don’t know what the current "red lines" are. Publicly, they say a plan is being developed, that everyone agrees, that things are supposedly moving smoothly. But this is surprising, because there is no realistic concept — no roadmap or set of points that could actually be implemented. There are demands that contradict Ukrainian law: changing the Constitution, NATO abandoning its own principles,” the diplomat noted.

Chaly emphasizes that Moscow is trying to reshape global perception of the war.

“Russia wanted to turn a war where it is the aggressor into a European conflict "fought by different countries." If this narrative changes, everything will change — from sanctions policy to China’s stance,” he stressed.

According to the diplomat, the danger also lies in the possible withdrawal of the U.S. from active involvement.

“The worst scenario would be if Donald Trump "washed his hands" and stepped out of the game. Even if he withdraws, the U.S. must remain engaged: continue supplying weapons through Europe and maintain political support,” Chaly said.

He added that despite the numerous traps laid by the Kremlin, the Russian scenario is not guaranteed to succeed.

“The plan included very cleverly placed traps, but they may not materialize. The main reason is that there are no European countries ready to take such steps,” the diplomat concluded.