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The Russian news agency TASS reports (source):
Russia is not going to wage war against Ukraine but will respond in kind, if Kiev carries out a provocation on the border with Crimea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station on Monday.
“We will not wage war against Ukraine, I promise you,” he vowed.
Donbass republics
He stressed that Ukraine’s domestic problems were “much broader and deeper” than just the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics (DPR, LPR). That’s why Russia cannot just recognize the DPR and LPR, as that would be tantamount to leaving the rest of Ukraine in the hands of the Nazi regime.
“You want to recognize the LPR and DPR? And what’s next? To lose the rest of Ukraine and abandon it to the Nazis?” he said, when asked why Russia refused to recognize these self-proclaimed republics.
Provocation near Crimea
He noted though that Kiev was plotting more incitement on the border with Russia.
“I am sure there will be more provocations,” he warned. “”[Ukrainian President Pyotr] Poroshenko is planning an armed provocation on the border with Russia, on the border with Crimea during the last ten days of December.”
The minister vowed that Russia would not leave that unanswered.
“The answer is: they will regret it. This is our country, this is our border. We will not allow him [Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko] to try to somehow protect his interests, the way he sees it, and violate those rights that Crimeans defended in full accordance with international law,” Lavrov stressed.
Russia’s top diplomat pointed out that the current regime in Kiev was similar to that of neo-Nazis.
“We are not fighting the Ukrainian regime. It is Ukrainian citizens living in Donbass who are fighting against the Ukrainian regime, which has full Nazi and neo-Nazi characteristics,” Lavrov pointed out.According to Russia’s data, Poroshenko has been discussing the upcoming provocation on the border with Crimea with his Western sponsors. “They advise him to keep low intense combat actions to enable them to go ahead with propaganda that Russians are carrying out an offensive against Ukraine and that’s why Russia needs to be hit by sanctions, but military actions should never switch into a phase that will be followed by full-scale responses,” Lavrov stressed.
Russia’s top diplomat emphasized that Kiev’s provocations are ongoing.
“Our respective services are making all necessary efforts to thwart these incidents.”
Minsk accords
The Minsk agreements are the only way of overcoming the crisis in the Donbass region, he said.
“There is no alternative to the Minsk agreements,” the minister stressed. “I said the same thing the year before last as well.”
In response to a journalist’s remark that the Minsk agreements are allegedly not working, he said, “The UN Charter has likewise been violated on numerous occasions, and it is does not work many times either. However, it is impermissible to give in to panic.”
Ukrainian regime
Lavrov said the current Ukrainian regime is similar to that of neo-Nazis.
“We are not fighting against the Ukrainian regime. These are Ukrainian citizens living in Donbass, who are fighting against the Ukrainian regime, which has all characteristics of Nazis and neo-Nazis,” Lavrov said.
When asked why Moscow is not severing ties with Kiev, Lavrov stressed: “We have relations with the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian state is much more and more important for us than that regime, which is currently in power thanks to the West’s betrayal of all norms of the international law and international behavior.”
“The Ukrainian people have nothing to do with it, and I’m sure that most Ukrainian citizens wish peace to their country and want it to get rid of this shameful regime and resume normal ties with Russia,” he said.
To this aim, Ukraine’s domestic problems need to be settled, which are “much broader and deeper than simply the Lugansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic.”
It is reassuring to hear My Lavrov’s wise and sane words.
We can only imagine the dire situation if the Blowhards in the US Coalition of Terror and NATO were mirrored by Russia.
Well, if Putin was not so weak, the situation with Donetsk and Luhansk could be already secured after referendum and decisive Debaltseve victory in 2015. But Putin is weak and he left people in DOnetsk and Luhansk to Poroshenko, because he was scared of NATO reaction. Now NATO canceled IMF and have nuclear capable mid-range ballistic missiles pointed on Moscow and St. Petersburg in Poland, Romania and soon in Ukraine as well.. Because Putin and Lavrov were weak and didn’t shown any force against NATO military expansion. Now they have war on Russian borders and they are trying to hide this reality but PEOPLE SEE IT. The same output of weak Lavrov-Putin combo can be observed in Syria. Russia should fight back against USA-Israel 3 years ago already. But they decided for “limited war” and it costed countless Syrian-Iraninan-Russian casualties which were unnecessary. And the same output is in Yemen.
President Putin is certainly not weak. The whole Russian strategy is all in the article if you care to read it.
NATO would like nothing more than to create Ukraine into a warzone.
The Russian leadership realise this and the total disaster that it would be for the Ukranian people.
If NATO really wants a war the members must accept that THEIR cities will be the battlegrounds . Including the USA.
STOP – it IS already a disaster for the people in Ukraine, namely for the people of LNR and DNR, Lugansk and Donetsk… no need to discuss.
Thanks to porky and the jews.
The devastation that NATO would bring would be far worse and they are only looking for an excuse via the Right to Protect ideology.
Yes, more ethnic Russians would be killed in that conflict, by far, than are being killed now. But such a conflict would present Russia a great opportunity to fracture the alliance once and for all. Any war involving NATO and Russia in the setting of Ukraine would so favor Russia it’s almost worth hoping for Washington to be that stupid. Many elements of the electorate in Western Europe would freak to a degree well beyond the French protests, who wants to suffer or die or get involved in a Washington schemed nuclear war for…Ukraine? Hardly anyone in Western Europe. And that would be before the worst of the combat and the heavy losses on both sides. But slowly, on the ground and in the air Russia is likely to begin winning. As long as escalation is managed (a huge if) talks would begin and perhaps even a separate peace with some NATO members. It might descend into major nuclear exchange but it also could stay conventional and break NATO unity and consign the alliance to both defeat and history. It could also even lead to voter iniated regime change inside the United States. Surely it can’t be allowed to happen but NATO countries would be a some disadvantage in such a conflict and might lose way more than they bargained for even if they don’t get nuked.
” But such a conflict would present Russia a great opportunity to fracture the alliance once and for all.”
There is merit in that scenario. However when Pandoras Box is opened other scenarios can come into play.
The correct strategy in my opinion is to give time to the forces of debt and stupidity in the West that weakens the anointed leaders further as every day passes.
Invasion has always been used to unify the nations being invaded.
NATO will fail as it is seen by many to be an arm of the corrupt US Empire. The cancer of Exceptionalism has always bought Empires low in time.
Tis time to let cancer do its job I think. People always welcome a doctor , few welcome a soldier with a loaded gun. :)
I agree with you. The scenario I presented is a fantasy. At most, Russia should only ever use force agInst Ukraine if attacked, and only in a way to degrade Ukrainian military capabilities. But if NATO is ever stupid enough to deploy forces or behaviors in Ukraine strong and rash enough to threaten Russia and war results from that than the resulting balance favors Russia far more than many people realize.
Yes indeed. In fact President Putin has publicly stated that IF NATO invade Russian lands, the NATO invaders will be destroyed immediately with tactical nuclear weapons.
NATO is blinded by its own propaganda and easy victories over victims armed with ‘spears’.
If Putin shown some force, neocons in US would stop telling bullshits about weak Russia and rather remember what happened to them in Vietnam.
But it is not the case. Putin-Lavrov gave Rotschild-Soros-Netanyahu cabal at least 3 YEARS !!!!!!!!!!! without oposing them and they utterly brainwashed West so now some 90percent of West population would swear that Putin is a devil and that it is worth to die under NATO flag, protecting innocent Ukraine against Russian invasion. I live in Europe and I know what I’m talking about !
Vladimir Putin isn’t weak. Russia’s response was measured and tried to stay within certain legal lines. The primary problem with going farther is cost. Just the pension costs alone for both self declared republics would be painful to bear. And if there is a full scale war with Ukraine Russia would win, sure but what would be Russia’s responsibility at helping Ukraine rebuild? The Russian Federation is not the United States; printing endless stacks of cash and starting bloody and cruel wars on a whim without understanding where it all leads. Russia is a cautious and defensive power, moving slowly and trying to avoid self inflicted wounds. It is frustrating at times but I’ll say it again- most Russian citizens consistently express the opinion that they would prefer avoiding escalation.
yes, try to explain this to the people of Donbass, who get artillery fire in their residential blocks on a daily basis. explain them, why Crimeans are better people than people from Donetsk and Lugansk?
Are you the spokesperson for the people of Donetsk and Lugansk?
i was there and i have friends there. i saw people dying, with my own eyes! i saw holes from detonated short-range-ballistic missiles “Tochka” in the middle of residential blocks! we dont talk about a place somewhere in africa, this is EUROPE! Donbass people want their independence, as Crimeans wanted it… even Abchasia was recognized by Russia, if you know where this is….
Russia knows what to do and when. Patience and wisdom are not signs of weakness. And if you are so unhappy about it why don’t you tell porky? Why don’t you write to biden or newland, mccain is dead so he is out of the game but yes, tell them to leave Russia to Russians and back off. And you write Europe in caps as if it is the holliest of the holly lands. Europe also contributed to the drama and it does not inspire respect. And according to you “Tochka” should be considered suitable for Africa but not in Donbass? Are you mad? Racist? Jew? That explains it. Then I would be neutral if “Tochka” is used somewhere in usa or israhell. This is not Europe after all.:)
I’m sorry for your friends and the people you saw being hurt. It is disheartening and I feel for you and for them. But this March, the Ukrainian people including ethnic Russians with Ukrainian citizenship, will get to do something they have yet to have a chance to do; pass electoral judgement on the coup plotters and the crisis driven Poroshenko led ruling caste. Now full judgement won’t be rendered until later in the year when the Rada is contested but by the end of 2019 we’ll all know what Ukrainian society at large feels about the last five years of craziness, hatred, lawlessness and instability. From the Russian government point of view, and it might be a long shot, it could result in some people being brought to justice and a more stable relationship for Russians and Ukrainians both inside and outside the country. It’s worth a chance.
disqus_INjMh4fSur yes
I hear you and share your frustration. But the difference is one of legality. Crimea was part of Russia and had nearly achieved independence from Ukraine in the 1990’s before a paramilitary operation brought it back, forcibly into Ukraine. A deal was made and Yeltsin accepted it. The deal included protection and civil rights for the ethnic Russian majority in Crimea and base leases for the Black Sea Fleet. The coup violated provisions of the deal including disenfranchising ethnic Russians in Crimea and jeopardizing their safety. On that legal basis the Crimean Assembly asked Russia for help and legally provided for the referendum. A certain legal door was opened by the coup and the Right Sector thugs. No special agreement existed for other areas of Ukraine. While not on their own entirely there are limits, legally and practically to what Russia can do short of full scale and consequential war. As with many human constructs and predicaments, it’s a mess and not one of Russia’s making. Things could change for the better after March and that’s been Russia’s long game for some time now.
Very good point, Ukraine has always had to rely on direct money bailouts and investment projects which are now being used to boost Russia’s own economy and industry. If Russia did remove the neo nazis he would have to prop up which every leader took over because the USA, EU and the IMF would stop all loans.
nah, the russian are traitors concerning the people in Donbass… those people, who are 90% ethnical russians, want to be with Russia too, like Crimeans, but are left alone… 1000s of inhabitants where killed already…. while UkroNazi army is hitting residential blocks with 152mm artillery, the russian idiots still cling to the already long dead Minsk-agreement, which was not followed by the naziClowns in Kiev for even 1 day…
exactly.
Yes, the USSR is no more and they found themselves on the wrong side of a new border. Russia has made it clear that they can come home. Older ethnic Russians with Ukrainian citizenship can become dual citizens and get their Ukrainian pension checks. The Russian Federation has streamlined immigration laws and procedures to make it easier to do this now. But there are millions of ethnic Russians living farther afield inside Ukraine too and many have been subjected to intimidation and assault. On the basis of your logic Russia should invade and protect them all. But then there would be many more ethnic Ukrainian people making troubles, a wider civil conflict and uprisings. It’s complicated. So Russia is doing the right thing. Avoiding escalation, while sending help to Donbass and Luhansk. There have been forty convoys of food, clothes, fuel. Help with weapons and ammunition. Volunteers guarding the contact line. And waiting for more sane people to actually be elected in Ukraine and restore rule of law and stability. Along with being prepared to defend Russia, including Crimea, it’s been the best move for the people who matter most: Citizens of the Russian Federation.
They want not only DPR and LPR but also most of the eastern parts with Russian population
Sure that Neonazi Ukraine lapdogs are preparing provocations. And what Russia does ? Just keeps empty talking, giving them coal, gas and other valuable resources instead of insisting of repaying debt and puting the most strict embargo on them, similar to the one that US put on North Korea. I can tell you. Putin is an idiot and Lavrov is a dickhead. This is a war, not chit-chat. Talking is for pussies.
the Kremlin-blabla-Combo, yes… i think, sooner or later, the military will put more pressure on Mr. Putin… he is much too weak in his responses, typical guy from St. Petersburg… the rat´s nest of Russia
Russia’s plans have always been to first build the Nordstream 2 pipeline…..after that is built the actions against Ukraine will be harsher
No need for a full blown war, just bomb Poroshenko’s, factories and his homes.
Porkyshenko wants Santa to bring him Barbarossa for Christmas? Hopefully he has to settle for a sack of Koch’s Wyoming coal instead.