Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has demanded an end to what he characterized as systematic legislative repression of Russian identity and rights in Ukraine. He made the remarks, as reported by local media on Sunday, in a wider statement on settling the current conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.
Lavrov stated that efforts towards peace must focus on what he referred to as the "criminal activity" of the Ukrainian government in eliminating Russian language and culture.
"It is no less necessary to halt the criminal activity of the Kyiv regime in legislatively annihilating all that is Russian, all the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine, guaranteed, by the way, by the constitution of this state," Lavrov stated. He continued that these rights have been "legislatively annihilated" in basic sectors, such as education, mass media, and culture.
Russian foreign minister reaffirmed Moscow's position that the only key to sustainable peace is the resolution of the root causes of the conflict.
Above all, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has constantly stressed, this is the eradication of threats to Russia's security which have emerged in response to NATO expansion to the East, attempts to involve Kyiv in the North Atlantic Alliance with intentions to develop military infrastructure on Ukrainian territory, infrastructure directed against the Russian Federation," Lavrov stated.
Lavrov said that in his meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev on Thursday. The comments were made at a press briefing after talks with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev, the Russian news agency TASS reported.
Kulubayev, on his part, emphasized the solidity of bilateral relations between Russia and Kyrgyzstan.
"Russia is among the few states with which the Kyrgyz Republic has established a special partnership and allied relations," Kulubayev said after the meeting.
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