Russian President Vladimir Putin argued that the Kyiv authorities were making their attacks harsher and more brutal as the difficulties on the battlefield increased.
Putin spoke on Saturday at the 23rd Congress of the United Russia party in Moscow, the capital of Russia. At the congress, held ahead of the State Duma elections scheduled for September, he said the “special military operation” in Ukraine was continuing.
The Russian leader said the worsening situation on the battlefield was driving the Kyiv authorities to launch harsher attacks. He argued that this demonstrated the “Nazi essence” of the structure Russia says it is fighting.
Lavrov says Western efforts to interfere in elections will fail
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also told journalists during the congress that Western countries would try to prevent the State Duma elections but that the effort would be unsuccessful.
Lavrov accused the West of “declaring war” on Russia through Ukraine. Arguing that there was no counterpart in Europe with whom an agreement could be reached, Lavrov said Western countries were waiting for Moscow to come to them for an agreement. He said Russia would not go to Europe for this purpose.
Moscow rejects proposal for a European force
Lavrov also opposed the possibility of Europe sending “stabilization forces” to Ukraine if a ceasefire were reached. He said this would mean accepting a ceasefire that would preserve what Moscow calls the “Nazi regime.”
The Russian foreign minister also argued that such an agreement would allow the deployment of “Nazi cells” that he claimed had re-emerged in Europe in recent years and spread to Ukraine. He maintained that ending the fighting along the line of contact would give Ukraine time to rearm.
Background to the conflict
Russia’s military attack on Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Moscow is making Ukraine’s abandonment of participation in Western military structures a condition for ending the attacks. Kyiv considers this demand interference in its internal affairs.
