2nd phase of Ukraine ‘special military operation’ has started: Russia

MOSCOW – Russia has commenced the second phase of its “special military operation” in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Lavrov reaffirmed that “the sole purpose of this operation is the demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine, since these are two intimately linked problems.”

“The operation in the east of Ukraine is aimed … at the complete liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics. This operation will continue, the next phase of this operation is beginning, and it seems to me that now will be an important moment,” he said.

Lavrov reiterated that actions by Kyiv and its Western backers forced Russia to launch the operation in Ukraine, including their failure to implement the Minsk agreements and fulfilling Moscow’s demand for security guarantees.

He said the current events are “rooted in the desire of the US, and what we call the collective West, to rule and dominate the world.”

“They wanted to show the world there would be no multipolarity, only unipolarity,” said Lavrov, adding that the US and its allies attacked countries such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yugoslavia with impunity and without any fear of repercussions.

He said Moscow warned that the West was “pumping arms into Ukraine” and trying to make it a “NATO springboard” while pushing the military alliance’s expansion to Russia’s borders.

The West, in its sense of superiority, ignored these concerns and directly contributed to the present situation, he added.

The minister emphasized that Russian forces have only targeted military infrastructure, while also ruling out the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons.

Lavrov said Russia is not looking “to change the regime in Ukraine” and wants Ukrainians to decide their future for themselves.

On the role of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Lavrov said the West has just used him against Russia.

Regarding the thaw in India-China relations, Lavrov said:

“We welcome the fact that discussions between the armed forces of India and China have resumed, that negotiations are underway at the political level, including between the foreign ministers. We hope that this situation will be resolved,” said Lavrov.

The Russian minister condemned the West’s attempts to coerce India, China, Turkiye and some other countries to take measures, including sanctions, against Russia.

“When they tell India, China, Turkiye, Egypt – countries with their own thousands of years of history, civilization and culture – what to do, I believe something is wrong not only with their manners … but something is wrong with their mentality,” said Lavrov.