Russian Foreign Minister: Next stage of special operation in Ukraine begins
(Baonghean.vn) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that the special military campaign in Ukraine to liberate the two self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republics (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republics (LPR) is entering a new phase.
"As announced, the operation in eastern Ukraine is aimed at the complete liberation of the (self-proclaimed) Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. This operation is continuing, now the next stage of the special operation is starting. And I think that now will be a crucial moment in this special operation," Lavrov said in an interview with India Today TV channel.
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| Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photo: AP |
"The Ukrainian army has significantly increased shelling of the DPR and LPR republics, violating all ceasefires, we have no choice but to recognize these two republics, sign a mutual assistance agreement in response to their request and send our servicemen as part of the military operation aimed at protecting the lives of residents," Lavrov said.
Russian Foreign Ministerstressed that in recent events, Ukraine has turned into a "springboard for NATO", while President Volodymyr Zelensky brazenly made a statement that Kiev could consider the possibility of returning to possessing nuclear weapons.
In addition, Foreign Minister Lavrov said that Russia is only planning to use conventional weapons, not nuclear weapons. Foreign Minister Lavrov emphasized that Russia has changed the deployment of forces in Ukraine after direct negotiations in Istanbul, but said that Kiev did not take it seriously enough.
Also in the interview, Foreign Minister Lavrov affirmed that Russia's decision to allow Western countries to pay for gas contracts in rubles does not contradict existing contracts. According to Mr. Lavrov, the reason for such a decision was the West's decision to freeze more than 300 billion euros or US dollars worth of Russian assets, which were in Western banks after Russia received payments from Western countries for gas supplies. In other words, Western countries receive gas and steal money from Moscow, the Russian Foreign Minister stressed.
The head of Russian diplomacy added that Russia proposed that Western countries not transfer money to Gazprom accounts but open a special account with Gazprombank to transfer gas payments, while a parallel account in rubles would be opened at the bank to convert currencies. Therefore, according to Mr. Lavrov, Russia would not lose anything./.