Russian assaults on Ukraine’s power infrastructure are a justified response to inherent threats, International Minister Sergey Lavrov has mentioned in a televised press convention that lasted greater than two hours.
“This infrastructure helps the fight functionality of the Ukrainian armed forces and nationalist battalions,” Lavrov mentioned Thursday in an internet information convention, claiming that Moscow’s actions are, the truth is, geared toward minimising the variety of civilian casualties.
He mentioned that the current barrage of Russian missile assaults was supposed to “knock out power services that assist you to preserve pumping lethal weapons into Ukraine to be able to kill the Russians”.
Waves of missile assaults on Ukrainian power infrastructure since October have left hundreds of thousands of individuals minimize off from electrical energy and warmth and, in some instances, water.
Dozens of civilians have died in nationwide assaults.
Lavrov additionally ranted towards the US and its NATO allies, accusing them of trampling on worldwide legislation whereas making an attempt to isolate and destroy Russia.
He claimed that the US has tried to discourage different international locations, together with India, from sustaining shut ties with Russia, however these makes an attempt failed.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, insists it doesn’t goal civilians. In some instances, it has blamed Ukraine for assaults on Kyiv.
However Ukraine and the West say Russia is focusing on key civilian infrastructure in a bid to decrease morale and drive Ukraine into peace talks – on Moscow’s circumstances.
Lavrov mentioned Russia has “by no means requested for talks however all the time mentioned that we’re able to take heed to those that are all in favour of a negotiated settlement”.
On the identical time, Russia’s prime diplomat accused NATO and the US of comparable warfare ways within the current previous.
“Examine the hysteria unleashed within the Western media now with what occurred when the US bombed Iraq,” he mentioned.
Within the former Yugoslavia, NATO additionally bombed the TV centre in Belgrade on the grounds that it served enemy battle propaganda, Lavrov mentioned.
The Kremlin has urged Ukraine to acknowledge Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as a part of Russia and recognise different land good points made throughout this 12 months’s battle.
It additionally has continued to push for ensures that Ukraine is not going to be a part of NATO, and for vaguely formulated “demilitarisation” and “de-Nazification” objectives.
Requested if a gathering between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden is feasible, Lavrov mentioned “we don’t shun contacts” however added, “we haven’t but heard any severe concepts but”.
Lavrov mentioned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has raised the problem of US residents imprisoned in Russia in a telephone name, however famous that Putin and Biden agreed to arrange a separate channel of communication between particular providers to debate the problem once they met in Geneva in June 2021.
“It’s working and I hope that some outcomes might be achieved,” he added.
The Biden administration has been making an attempt for months to barter the discharge of WNBA star Brittney Griner and one other American – Michigan company safety govt Paul Whelan, by a potential prisoner swap with Moscow.
Commenting on Russia’s choice to postpone a spherical of nuclear arms management talks with the US that was scheduled for this week, Lavrov argued that “it’s unattainable to debate strategic stability these days whereas ignoring every little thing that’s occurring in Ukraine”.
“The objective has been introduced to defeat Russia on the battlefield and even destroy Russia,” he mentioned. “How can the objective of defeating Russia not bear significance for strategic stability, contemplating that they need to destroy a key strategic stability actor?”