According to the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zagarova, this special mission “intends to be drawn into the military psychosis promoted by Washington and is used as a tool for possible provocation.”
The Russian delegate urged the leadership of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to stop attempts to manipulate its mission and, in her opinion, prevent it from getting involved in the dirty political games that are being prepared around it.
“We start from the premise that under conditions of artificial tension, the mission’s monitoring activities, in full compliance with its mandate, are more than ever required,” he stressed.
The Western proposal comes amid tensions between Russia and the West over the internal situation in Ukraine and accusations of Moscow’s alleged invasion of that country, which the Kremlin has repeatedly denied.
On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken by phone that Washington’s propaganda campaign about Russia’s alleged aggression against Ukraine is pursuing provocative goals.
Lavrov stressed that such speech encourages the Kiev authorities to sabotage the Minsk agreements for the peaceful settlement of the Donbass conflict and harmful attempts to solve the problem by force.
Western politicians, diplomats, and media have repeated sermons about alleged Russian plans against Kiev over the past two months, actions denounced by Moscow.
The spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, warned that the supposed Russian attack could be used as an argument, and that provocations could be produced to justify these words.
According to the head of the Kremlin press service, attempts to solve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine by force will have serious consequences.
jha / mml
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