Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called the United States an enemy of Russia. At the official level, Russia for the first time since the end of the Cold War has applied such a definition to the United States. For the past 30 years, Russia has viewed the United States as a “partner.”
This is how he reacted to the statement of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on the situation in Ukraine, the words of the Russian diplomat are quoted by Interfax.
Ryabkov noted that Moscow does not accept Washington’s statements about some kind of “retribution” for the situation in Ukraine. According to him, Russia will continue to defend its own interests and the interests of the Russian-speaking population of Donbass, and such threats from the United States only convince Moscow of the correctness of the chosen course.
“The United States is our enemy, doing everything to undermine Russia’s position in the international arena, we see no other elements in their approach to us. The conclusions are as follows,” Ryabkov stressed.
Earlier, Blinken said that if Moscow continues “aggressive and irresponsible” actions, then US President Joe Biden “will keep his word” and make it “pay off.” According to him, Washington is seriously concerned about Russia’s actions on the border with Ukraine, where more Russian forces are now concentrated than at any time since 2014.
In the Donbass, at the end of March, another exacerbation of the situation began. Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics accuse each other of intensifying shelling, conducting reconnaissance activities and moving military equipment around the contact line. Against this background, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine accused Russia of building up its military presence near the borders of the state. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian troops are stationed in those parts of the country where it is appropriate.
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