MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Holding elections in Ukraine is a constitutional obligation of the Ukrainian state, not a demand from Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
She noted that Vladimir Zelensky’s life had already led to the collapse of the Ukrainian state.
Zakharova also stressed that Russia demands and will continue to seek condemnation by relevant international bodies of the Kiev regime’s crimes, which have no statute of limitations and include launching a full-scale hunt for Russian journalists.
TASS has compiled the key statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.
Holding elections in Ukraine
Holding elections in Ukraine is a constitutional obligation of the Ukrainian state, not a demand from Moscow: "Did Ukraine’s updated Constitution also get adopted at Moscow’s behest? Did some hand from the Kremlin write it? As far as I remember, people in Ukraine, starting with [Vladimir] Zelensky, were very proud of it. What does it say about elections? It is the Ukrainian state’s duty to hold elections on its territory. It is the duty of those elected by the Ukrainian people to ensure that laws are enforced, starting with the Constitution."
Collapse of Ukrainian statehood
Vladimir Zelensky’s life has already led to the collapse of the Ukrainian state: "What an incredible disgrace Zelensky is. Ukraine would collapse if he died? His life has already led to the collapse of the Ukrainian state."
Kiev’s crimes against journalists
Russia demands and will continue to seek condemnation by relevant international bodies of the Kiev regime’s crimes, which have involved launching a "full-scale hunt for Russian correspondents": "The death toll has already reached dozens."
International organizations not only fail to condemn Kiev’s actions but are unable even to find "words of sympathy": "The leadership of such international bodies as UNESCO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has not condemned the Kiev regime’s crimes and has not even found words of sympathy over a number of killings of Russian media representatives."
The silence of officials "effectively fosters an atmosphere of permissiveness and impunity" for attacks on Russian journalists.
Western support for Kiev
The Baltic states have joined Vladimir Zelensky’s favorite game of the meat grinder by deporting Ukrainian refugees of conscription age back to Ukraine: "This is Zelensky’s childhood dream of playing the meat grinder, as his mother described it when recounting the toys little Zelensky used to play with, now put into practice."
After pledging support for Kiev following Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to London, Britain will continue supplying Ukraine with weapons for terrorist attacks on civilians: "Let’s translate this into the language of facts: Downing Street and the British establishment in London will continue to supply the Kiev regime with weapons for terrorist attacks on civilians."
European sanctions
Brussels has maintained its anti-Russian fervor but run out of common sense, having "crushed" it with successive sanctions packages against Russia: "The anti-Russian fervor of the European bureaucracy is, as we understand it, far from exhausted. What has been exhausted is common sense in Brussels. It is completely absent there. It has been crushed by sanctions packages."
The European Union, where "everything is collapsing before our eyes," is finding it increasingly difficult to agree on new sanctions packages against Russia, which, according to Zakharova, shows the weakness of Europeans: "It is becoming increasingly difficult for EU member states to reach agreement on sectoral restrictions that affect their own economies in particular, as well as other areas. As a result, the ‘large-scale’ anti-Russian measures adopted this week, as they called them, turned out on closer inspection to be a mere bureaucratic expansion of the so-called blacklists based on extremely broad wording."
Prospects for cooperation with Europeans
The European Union’s anti-Russian stance offers little prospect for resuming energy cooperation: "At present, judging by their statements and actions, such prospects are unlikely to materialize."
Russia will not prevent peace-minded Europeans from entering the country despite the European Union’s discriminatory policies: "Our country remains open and hospitable. I believe this should be our response. We have no intention of closing ourselves off or restricting those who come to us in peace, with interest, and with a positive, constructive agenda."
Russian Houses in Europe
Members of the European Parliament who have proposed closing all Russian Houses in Europe are following Nazi methods that "should have been consigned to oblivion": "Doesn’t this remind you of anything? This kind of rabid determination to shut down Russian Houses, which tell people about [Russian culture] when it matters to them and they want to learn about it. It reminded me of something. These are the very same patterns they used to shape their policies not so long ago, in the first third of the 20th century. Remember the play Schlageter? It was written by a playwright who was a Nazi."
Russia views the proposal to close all Russian Houses in Europe as another example of rabid and thoughtless Russophobia.
US hunting for Russians
Russian citizens traveling abroad need to remain vigilant amid what Zakharova described as a "worldwide hunt for Russians" by US intelligence agencies.
Threats against Moldova
Threats to expel Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov, as well as the routine summoning of the diplomat to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry accompanied by "a show involving the conspicuous placement of drones on the steps," are absolutely unacceptable.
Such rhetoric "demonstrates that Oleg Ozerov’s opponents have absolutely no real grounds for accusing him of disrespecting his host country," and that they are therefore resorting to "blatant lies, groundless accusations and sheer rudeness."
"Fortunately, people in Moldova itself understand the real value of their authorities’ anti-Russian statements. Independent political analysts note that the country’s residents see the real threat to statehood in the destructive policies of Moldova and [Maia] Sandu’s team, which is systematically turning the republic into yet another anti-Russian foothold."