Russian diplomat claims no aggressive intent toward Europe, citing historical attacks
Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- A Russian diplomat claims Russia has no aggressive intentions toward Europe or its neighbors, stating Russia has historically been attacked.
- These assertions contrast sharply with Russia's ongoing military actions in Ukraine, including recent deadly attacks.
- Ukraine condemned a Russian missile strike on Kyiv Oblast that killed ten people and injured nearly 100 during a defense industry event, calling it "Russian terror."
Russia has never harbored aggressive plans toward its neighbors or European nations, asserting that it has historically been the target of attacks, according to Russian Ambassador to Ankara Sergey Vershinin. "We have never harbored aggressive intentions toward neighboring or European countries. If you look at history, Russia was the one that was attacked and whose security was threatened," Vershinin stated in an interview with Habertรผrk, as reported by TASS.
We have never harbored aggressive intentions toward neighboring or European countries. If you look at history, Russia was the one that was attacked and whose security was threatened.
Vershinin emphasized that ensuring one's own security at the expense of others is unacceptable, citing numerous international documents, including those from the United Nations and the OSCE. He lamented that many Western European capitals often seem to forget these principles. These claims come while Russia continues its intense and deadly assaults on Ukraine.
It is unacceptable to ensure one's own security at the expense of the security of other states.
On Friday, a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv Oblast killed ten people and injured nearly 100. The attack hit a site hosting an event related to the defense industry. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike, calling it "Russian terror" and stating that such gatherings should never have been organized in wartime conditions. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that rescue operations concluded, with images showing rescue teams sifting through rubble near residential buildings.
Of course, the cause of this attack are Russian missiles, nothing else but Russian terror.
In a separate incident, an aviation bomb attack by Russia in eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk killed five people and injured nine, according to regional governor Vadim Filashkin. He later reported that an additional 16 people were injured in a subsequent Russian attack on the city that evening, damaging residential buildings. The governor of Kyiv Oblast announced that Saturday would be a day of mourning in the region.
However, we have said a thousand times that in such wartime conditions, with such an enemy, it is absolutely unacceptable to hold any arms exhibitions with a large number of people, especially near residential buildings.
Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.