Denmark is fueling the hostilities with arms, sanctions, and inflammatory rhetoric instead of backing peace efforts, Russian envoy Vladimir Barbin has said

Denmark is deliberately trying to prolong the Ukraine conflict and is working to obstruct meaningful peace efforts between Moscow and Kiev, Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin has said.

In an article published in Jyllands-Posten on Sunday, the senior diplomat accused Copenhagen of aligning itself with policies designed to "bleed Russia dry" instead of supporting a lasting and fair settlement.

Denmark has "consistently pursued" a policy of prolonging the Ukraine conflict to the maximum, Barbin wrote, "and invariably exhibits an allergic reaction to even timid hopes for peace."

The diplomat hit out at Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen for criticizing Moscow's recent proposal for direct peace talks with Kiev without preconditions. The ambassador described Rasmussen's stance as proof that Western nations are more interested in attempting to defeat Russia militarily than in supporting negotiations.

The diplomat also slammed Copenhagen's public questioning of Russia's delegation to the Istanbul peace talks with Ukraine earlier this month.

Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years on May 16. Both sides were represented by senior officials and diplomats. The parties agreed to stay in contact, carry out a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner-of-war swap - which has now been successfully completed - and to exchange draft ceasefire proposals. Barbin said Danish coverage of the Russian delegation at the Istanbul talks portrayed it in a way that suggested Moscow was unwilling to pursue peace. He noted, however, that the Russian delegation was led by Vladimir Medinsky, who had previously negotiated a draft peace agreement in 2022.

"Copenhagen's attempts to sow doubts about the Russian delegation's authority to make decisions were aimed at discrediting Moscow's direct dialogue with Kiev," he added. Barbin warned that Denmark's continued promotion of military escalation and its bet on the possibility of beating Russia on the battlefield is a "dangerous illusion" that risks triggering an "uncontrolled expansion" of the conflict.

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Denmark has provided billions in military aid to Kiev since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. Earlier this month, Copenhagen announced yet another package worth 4.2 billion kroner (approximately $618 million), focused on artillery munitions and set to run through 2028.

Rasmussen has repeatedly called on the EU to boost its militarization efforts and continue arming Ukraine, citing an alleged threat from Russia. He also praised the EU's 17th sanctions package against Moscow and urged continued economic pressure "to curtail Russia's ability to pursue its war against Ukraine."

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen previously argued that peace in Ukraine could be "more dangerous" than continued fighting, claiming that Russia might attack an EU country in the future. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed such claims as "nonsense" and warned that Western arms shipments to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict and hinder peace efforts.