Lavrov: Referenda come as response to Zelensky's calls for all Russians to get out of Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke at the meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine.

First and foremost, Lavrov noted that one is trying to make Russia the aggressor while turning a blind eye on how Kyiv was killing people in Donbas. The Ukrainian authorities "owe" their impunity to Germany, France and the United States, Lavrov said. In particular, Kyiv openly sabotaged the implementation of the Minsk agreements while hypocritically declaring its commitment to them.

Lavrov also pointed to the use of internationally prohibited Lepestok anti-personnel mines by Ukraine in the Donbas. According to him, the Western policy in relation to Volodymyr Zelensky is based on the principle he is a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch.

In addition, Lavrov criticized the activities of the International Criminal Court that tried to accuse the Russian military of committing war crimes. At the same time, neither the coup in Ukraine, nor events in Odessa on May 2, 2014, nor the shelling of peaceful cities of Donbas and many other events "did not become a reason for any clear reaction from the ICC," Lavrov noted, adding that there was no more confidence left in this body.

When speaking about the provocation in Bucha, Sergei Lavrov noted that Western countries were unwilling to press the Ukrainian authorities to publish the names of the people whose bodies were depicted in the photographs. He called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to help resolve this issue.

Regarding the participation of foreign mercenaries in the Ukrainian conflict on Kyiv's side, the Russian Foreign Minister noted that all those responsible for the shelling of civilians would be held accountable, regardless of their citizenship.

Lavrov also stressed that the referendums in the Donbas, as well as in Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhia) and Kherson regions, came as a response to Volodymyr Zelensky's call for Russians to leave Ukraine.

"The pinnacle was Mr. Zelensky's interview from August 5 of last year, when he advised everyone who feels Russian to move for Russia for the benefit of their children and grandchildren. <…> It seems to me that the decisions that the residents of a number of Ukrainian regions have made about the referendums is a response to his suggestion," the minister said.

Here are a few key points from Lavrov's speech at the meeting of the UN Security Council:

• Referendums in Donbass, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions come as a response to Zelensky's call for Russians to leave Ukraine.
• Residents of Donbass were killed and continue to be killed only because they did not recognize the results of the coup in Ukraine.
• The Kyiv regime went on a large-scale crusade against the Russian language and the Russian-speaking population. In Ukraine, they destroy books in the Russian language.
  All those responsible for Ukraine's war crimes will be brought to justice.
• The Russian Federation has evidence proving the participation of citizens of Britain, Canada, the USA, the Netherlands in hostilities on Ukraine's side.
• Ukraine has turned into a totalitarian state.