Day 66: Russia says does not consider itself at war with NATO
Iran Press TV
Saturday, 30 April 2022 5:56 AM
Russia says it does not consider itself at war with NATO, warning such a development could increase the risks of a nuclear war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Al Arabita channel that Ukraine was at fault for stalled peace talks with Russia as Kiev has kept changing negotiation positions.
He also accused the West of sabotaging Russia's peace talks with Ukraine, noting, "We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time."
"Because of the instructions they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations," he added.
Russia's "special operation" was a "response to what NATO was doing in Ukraine to prepare this country for a very aggressive posture against the Russian Federation," he added.
"They were given offensive arms, including the arms which can reach the Russian territory, military bases were being built including on the Sea of Azov and many dozens of military exercises, including many of them on Ukrainian territory were conducted under NATO auspices and most of these exercises were designed against the interested of the Russian Federation, so the purpose of this operation is to make sure that those plans do not materialize."
Lavrov went on to say that "NATO, it seems, considers itself to be at war with Russia."
"NATO and European Union leaders, many of them, in England, in the United States, Poland, France, Germany and of course European Union chief diplomat Josep Borrell, they bluntly, publicly and consistently say, 'Putin must fail, Russia must be defeated.' When you use this terminology, I believe you think that you are at war with the person who you want to be defeated."
"NATO, despite its promises and promises of its leaders, was moving closer and closer to the Russian border and they were telling us, 'don't be afraid, we are a defensive alliance and we will pose no threat to your security.'"
"When the Warsaw Treaty disappeared, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist, NATO decided that the line of defense should be moved to the east and they did move this line of defense five times," Lavrov said.
Ukraine tries to erase Russia: Lavrov
Lavrov accused Kiev of "cancelling everything" related to Russia, including the "Russian language, education, media," noting, "day-to-day use of the Russian language was made an administrative offense."
"So when the Ukrainian regime intensified at the end of last year and early this year shelling of the Eastern territories of the country in Donbas, in the worst violations of the Minsk Agreements which were signed in February 2015 and endorsed by the Security Council resolution, when they were targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, schools, hospitals, kindergartens, we didn't have any other choice."
US training Ukrainian forces in Germany
Washington has started training Ukrainian armed forces in Germany and other locations in Europe, the Pentagon announced Friday.
"These efforts build on the initial artillery training that Ukraine's forces already have received elsewhere and also includes training on radar systems and armored vehicles that have been recently announced as part of security assistance packages," said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.
The training is being conducted by the Florida National Guard, the same group that had trained Ukrainians before they were repositioned from the country in February.
"The recent reunion now of these Florida National Guard members with their Ukrainian colleagues, we are told, was an emotional meeting," Kirby said Friday."Given the strong bonds that were formed as they were living and working together before temporarily parting ways in February."
"If we are going to give them new systems, we're trying to give them systems that are roughly akin to what they're used to," Kirby explained. "Because they're in such an active fight, we don't want to belabor them with long, complicated training that also requires a high number of personnel."
US highly-secret Ghost drones on the way to Ukraine
The Pentagon says it will send the first batch of highly-secret Phoenix Ghost drones to Ukraine as it steps up weapons flights.
More than a dozen flights will leave the continental US in the next 24 hours, carrying weapons destined for Ukrainian armed forces, including more howitzers and the first of the new Phoenix Ghost drones.
A senior defense official told reporters that the new, secret drones will join 100 Switchblades - kamikaze drones which carry a warhead - that have already been delivered.
No entry for public figures from Norway, Greenland, Ireland, Faroe Islands: Russia
Russia has banned entry to the county for nine individuals from Iceland, three from Greenland, three from the Faroe Islands and 16 from Norway in a retaliatory move, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The action was taken in response to the decisions made by Iceland, Norway and the Danish autonomies of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to join the European Union's sanctions against Russia, the statement added on Friday.
The reciprocal measures were taken in relation to a number of parliamentarians, government members, business, media and academic representatives as well as public figures, who have actively "promoted anti-Russian rhetoric," and have participated in the implementation of anti-Russian policies, it said.
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