B. Putin: Ukrainian leaders are “idiots and neo-fascists” – S. Lavrov: The West is trying to exhaust Russia in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Ukraine’s leaders as “idiots and neo-fascists.” While he praised the Russian military industry, the Russian Foreign Minister was also summoned to explain Moscow’s position on it The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip Calling for a ceasefire, while The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.

“They have gone completely crazy, or to put it more simply, they have become completely shameless,” Putin appears to say of the Ukrainian leadership in a video released today, in which the Russian president holds a glass of champagne during a meeting in the Kremlin. With Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

Putin claimed that the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky The Ukrainian President applauded a former Nazi, in reference to an incident that occurred last September during the Ukrainian President’s visit to Canada. Then, in the presence of Zelensky, the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons called on MPs to applaud 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran Yaroslav Honka. But according to Jewish organizations, Honka fought with the 14th Volunteer Division of the Waffen-SS. The incident caused a scandal that led to the resignation of the Speaker of Parliament.

Putin saw the incident as evidence of the neo-fascist stance of the current leadership in Kiev.

In his meeting with the Russian army, the Russian President praised the Russian defense industry. “It is producing exponentially,” Putin said, compared to when the war began (the Russian invasion of Ukraine).

At the same time, in an interview with Al Jazeera News Network, the Russian Foreign Minister said Sergey Lavrov He wondered whether Moscow’s position was hypocritical by criticizing and defending the Palestinians in the midst of the war between Israel and Hamas, while at the same time Russia is waging its own war in Ukraine. Lavrov responded that neither he nor Russia were hypocrites.

the Russia voted on Friday in favor of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire” on humanitarian grounds In the Gaza Strip, but the United States vetoed the resolution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his “displeasure” to Putin today in a phone conversation between the two leaders regarding this Russian position. In that letter, Netanyahu criticized the “dangerous cooperation between Russia and Iran,” the main supporter of Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, after Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi’s visit to Moscow on Thursday.

Since the beginning of the war between Hamas and Israel on October 7th Putin criticizes IsraelHe denounced the humanitarian “catastrophe” and called for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In his interview, the Russian Foreign Minister stressed that the West is trying to wear down Russia in Ukraine by supplying it with weapons, and that if peace talks are to take place, the President of Ukraine must cancel his presidential decree.

When asked if the war in Ukraine had reached a stalemate, Lavrov said: “It is up to the Ukrainians to realize how deep they are in the hole into which the Americans have put them.”

When asked what they are Diplomatic opportunities to reach a ceasefire or peace in UkraineHe said: “You should contact Zelensky because a year and a half ago he signed a decree prohibiting any negotiations with Putin.”

Lavrov confirmed that the peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia was almost reached in Istanbul in March and April 2022 on the basis of the idea of ​​Ukrainian neutrality. Lavrov said: “This deal was thwarted. It was canceled because the Americans and the British decided that if Putin was ready to sign it, let them exhaust him more (…).”

Regarding him The war between Israel and HamasThe head of Russian diplomacy confirmed that Moscow requests sending an international monitoring mission to the Gaza Strip to assess the humanitarian situation.

Lavrov stressed, “We strongly condemn the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7.” “At the same time, we do not believe it is acceptable to use this event to collectively punish millions of Palestinians through indiscriminate bombing.”

Sources: APE-MPE, Reuters, German Press Agency