🎙 Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, on the prospects of Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations:

📍 August 19, 2024, Baku

❌ President Putin made it quite clear that after the incursions began in the Kursk region, not just incursions, but rather an invasion, any negotiations are off the table. I would also like to draw attention to a very important statement by President Putin - that we will undoubtedly assess this situation, a bit later.

🔎 Recently, there have been rumors about some secret contacts to prepare to negotiations on energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine with Qatar acting as a mediator. It was said that our Turkish neighbors also plan to try to mediate food security issues, but in the context of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. You understand what the purpose of such "rumors" might be.

❗️ All this is done as a follow-up to the Bürgenstock "conference", where three working groups were formed to address energy, food security (related to maritime safety), and humanitarian issues (including prisoner exchanges, etc.). These groups have been established and are preparing for meetings. Regardless of any hints that Russia will be somehow involved, this is all simply misleading. The Bürgenstock process is seen as unacceptable by Russia, as it appears to have the only purpose of promoting an ultimatum known as the “Zelenskiy formula".

🕯The life of talented young journalist Darya Dugina was tragically cut short two years ago, on August 20, 2022. The investigative authorities of the Russian Federation have established that the brutal murder of the Russian journalist was organised and executed by the Ukrainian special services.

The cynical killing of Darya Dugina was followed by a series of attempted murders and assassinations of Russian journalists and public opinion leaders committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis.

Many others journalist have been targeted or come under fire when the Ukrainian Army attacked the civilian population and infrastructure with drones and other means.

There is no excuse for the silence of the concerned international organisations, which were initially designed to provide unbiased protection of the rights of media
representatives.

Today, we would like to point out again the unacceptability of applying double standards in the assessment of crimes against journalists.

Those responsible must receive the punishment they deserve!

Photo: Michael Tereshenko/Tass

#NoStatuteOfLimitations

#Announcement

🎙 On August 21, approximately at 1:00 pm MSK (10:00 am GMT/ 12:00 pm CEST/ 6:00 pm Beijing) Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold a briefing on current foreign policy issues.

For accreditation inquiries, please contact the Russian Foreign Ministry's Press Centre. Accredited journalists will receive detailed explanations on the technical aspects of submitting questions.

The Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman will answer media questions received by the call centre.

❗️ Accreditation is open until 11:00 am on August 20.