©Maxim Grigoryev/TASS
Ukraine would have levelled the Donbass republics a year ago if Russia had not intervened in time by recognizing the Lugansk and the Donetsk People's Republics and launching its special military operation, Former LPR ambassador to Moscow Rodion Miroshnik said on Friday.
"Exactly one year ago, the Ukrainian regime began artillery preparations before attacking Donbass! A 150,000-soldier group, armed and trained by NATO, was preparing to sweep away the Donbass. And if it were not for Russia's decision to start a special military operation, we would have simply been levelled," he wrote on his Telegram channel on the anniversary of the beginning of the escalation of the situation in the Donbass, "And neither the UN nor the OSCE would have noticed it."
Miroshnik recalled that from February 17 to 24, when the Russian Federation began its special military operation, the Ukrainian armed forces fired 551 shells on the LPR territory. At that time, he recalled, "700-800 rounds of ammunition per day flew into the republic." There were attempts to break through the defense, as well as casualties among civilians.
Also on Friday, Miroshnik drew attention to the fact that a year ago, neither the guarantors (of the Minsk agreements) - France and Germany - nor the UN General Assembly had forced Kiev to fulfill its obligations. At that time, the republics understood that the clock was ticking as the Ukrainian military could wipe out the DPR and the LPR cities, so the emergency evacuation began.
"But the world prefers not to see this and starts counting from February 24," he pointed out.
Presidential envoy lashes out at US-led West’s ‘theft’ of Russia’s assets
The US-led West’s seizure of Russia’s gold and foreign exchange holdings is a clear example of theft, Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergey Ivanov told TASS.
"The seizure of our gold and foreign exchange assets is a clear example. This is theft. How can we be urged to speak trustingly with the West after this? If your house was robbed and the thieves were caught, would you talk to them? It’s the same thing here both in everyday life and in big politics. You simply cannot do business [with the West], you must adapt to this thought and live life in a new way," Ivanov said.
After the start of Russia’s special military operation, the United States, Canada, the EU and the United Kingdom froze around $300 bln of Russia’s assets, that is, half of the country’s gold and forex reserves.
Italian ambassador summoned to Russian foreign ministry
Italian Ambassador to Moscow Giorgio Starace has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry to talk about the slew of Russian entertainers whose shows have been canceled in the country, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.
"The Russian side expressed bewilderment that the performances of a number of Russian musicians have been canceled in Italy recently. It was pointed out that these decisions by the Italian authorities, regrettably, indicate a tendency toward discriminating against Russian artists and reducing cultural and humanitarian exchanges, which runs counter to the Italian leaders’ statements on the importance of preserving a common space of European and global culture, and the inadmissibility of barriers and fences on account of ethnic descent," the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the Russian side stressed that it is ready for dialogue in the sphere of culture and doesn’t plan to impose any restrictions on Italian people of the arts. "Naturally, if the Italian side sticks to the principle of equality and reciprocity as far as relations in this sphere are concerned," the ministry noted.
While discussing certain international aspects, the Italian diplomat was informed about Russia’s views on the ongoing supplies of weapons and military hardware, including offensive, to the Kiev regime, on the training of the Ukrainian military, and on West’s course toward escalating the conflict.
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