Russia is willing to end its ‘Special Operation’ in Ukraine by May 9, while according to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Moscow already has handed over a draft settlement documents to Ukraine with “very clear language”, although Kyiv [also spelled as Kiev] shows no positive signs yet.
The Kremlin spokesman stressed that the Ukrainian side is constantly moving away from previously agreed positions, constantly changing them, which negatively affects the effectiveness of the negotiations.
He recalled that Moscow has repeatedly pointed out Kiev’s unwillingness to speed up the development of a solution, and now “Ukrainians do not show a great inclination to intensify the negotiation process”.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on April 7 that Kiev’s representatives at the talks had handed over their draft agreement, in which there is a departure from the most important provisions recorded at the meeting in Istanbul on March 29.
According to the head of the Foreign Ministry, Ukraine removed the need to coordinate military exercises with Moscow, and also introduced some vague language instead of previously proposed obligations not to extend security guarantees to Crimea and Sevastopol. Lavrov stated that Kyiv had demonstrated its line of delaying or undermining the negotiations.
Russian-Ukrainian negotiations started on February 28 and are held both in the format of face-to-face meetings and via videoconference. The next round took place at the end of March in Istanbul.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin called its goal “the protection of people who have been subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.” The army completed the main tasks of the first stage – significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal of the operation in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass. On April 19, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced the start of the next phase of the special operation.
Maria Zakharova calls for probe into fake news and anti-Russia propaganda
Russian law enforcement should investigate misinformation being spread about the country’s potential use of nuclear arms, said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting on an extract from Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview on nuclear arms, that was misinterpreted by a number of channels on Telegram.
“This issue, by the way, should be explored by law enforcement. We have every possible legislation, that enables law enforcement agencies to look into the story as far as the law being violated is concerned, that is Russian laws. This is fake news, that concerns not just our country’s security, since nuclear arms are mentioned,” Zakharova said during a live broadcast by Sputnik radio on Wednesday.
First of all, the measures should not target the sources who spread misinformation on the extract, but rather action should be taken against the developers and customers of this news, Zakharova stressed. “Someone has been manufacturing these materials, and there must be someone who designed the concept. I think it would be correct and timely to look into the entire chain,” the diplomat explained.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier in an interview with India Today that Russia was not considering the use of nuclear arms in Ukraine, where conventional weapons only would be used.
West using Ukrainians as ‘cannon fodders’
The West is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder in its proxy war against Russia, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said on Tuesday.
“Western colleagues’ concern for Ukraine and Ukrainians is quite selfish and self-serving,” he said at a United Nations Security Council meeting. “They need Ukrainians only as cannon fodder in their proxy war against Russia “down to the very last Ukrainian.”
Russia opens humanitarian corridors every day, but the Ukrainian side is reluctant to use them, Polyansky noted.
“We declare humanitarian corridors on a daily basis, [we] declare ceasefires every day, we did it even today, regarding the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, but the Ukrainian side doesn’t use it. They ignore those appeals,” he noted.
Olaf Scholz doesn’t want Russia to win in Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday said the Russian armed forces shouldn’t be allowed to win in Ukraine.
He made the statement at a news conference following talks that Western leaders held by video link. The leaders included presidents Joe Biden of the US, Emmanuel Macron of France, Andrzej Duda of Poland, Klaus Iohannis of Romania, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“Together with our partners in the EU and NATO we are completely united in the opinion that Russia must not win this war,” Scholz said. The chancellor addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, saying, “Stop shelling Ukrainian cities. Allow to establish an immediate ceasefire and withdraw your troops. Stop this horrible war”.
