The Ukraine crisis cannot be resolved in isolation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted on Wednesday, stressing that it should be addressed as part of broader peace and security arrangements in Europe.

"We have had no illusions and do not have any illusions regarding the prospects for an easy resolution of the Ukrainian crisis," Lavrov said in an interview for the Rossiya-1 TV channel, adding that any solutions Russian President Vladimir Putin presented as part of peace negotiations stem from international law and thus should not be regarded as "preconditions".

The statement follows comments from Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday, saying that Ukraine has shown no further willingness to negotiate, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow today of intentionally launching a large-scale attack on his country during Christmas.

NATO leaders urge defense boost

The Independent reported on Tuesday that NATO's leaders in Latvia, Estonia, and Finland have raised concerns about Europe's lack of readiness to defend itself against Russia without substantial US involvement. They called for an urgent increase in defense spending across the alliance to address the growing threat posed by Moscow.

"We are not ready. That's absolutely clear," stated Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics. He warned against relying too heavily on the United States, saying, "We can't keep simply hoping for a situation where the US remains much involved in Europe."

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for Europe to strengthen its military capabilities. "We have to ramp up our defense capabilities because of Russia's threat and its inability to be a democracy and operate in a rule-based world," he said.

Read more: Trump informs Europe he wants 5% NATO defense spending target

The three countries, which collectively share a 1,200-mile border with Russia and its ally Belarus, have been among NATO's top spenders on defense relative to their GDP. Estonia allocates 3.4% of its GDP to defense, Latvia spends 3.15%, and Finland invests 2.4%. In comparison, the UK spends 2.3%, though plans are underway to raise that figure to 2.5%.

Finland, which joined NATO in 2023 alongside Sweden, has significantly enhanced its military strength, including the recent purchase of 64 F-35A fighter jets valued at $9.4 billion. "We don't have this because we're worried about Stockholm or London. We have this because we're worried about Moscow," said Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The leaders also expressed concerns about the potential impact of Donald Trump's return to the White House, given his skepticism of NATO and calls for European nations to contribute more to defense spending. Trump's comments earlier this year suggesting he would allow Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to underfund NATO members drew sharp criticism for undermining the alliance's core principle of mutual defense.