Moscow - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called on the new Ukrainian authorities and Western countries not to make a problem out of the Russian Armed Forces' exercises in the Rostov region.
“There are no restrictions on any movements of military units within
the territory of the Russian Federation, and our Western partners
recognize the absence of any problems there in terms of the law. I would
not exaggerate this topic, as the current Ukrainian authorities and
their sponsors in the West are trying to do now,” Lavrov said at a press
conference in Moscow on Thursday.
“Following the completion of the exercises in the Rostov region, one
of the battalions involved in these drills has already returned to its
permanent base in the Rostov region. The remaining units will also
return to their permanent bases as they finish tackling the tasks
assigned to them,” he said.
The attitude displayed by the new Ukrainian leadership and the West
toward these military exercises in Russia is unreasonable, Lavrov said.
“In our opinion, if a term like “de-escalation” is introduced, one
should refrain from ramping up rhetoric. First and foremost, it is
necessary to de-escalate this rhetoric, which today is going over the
top and beyond any reasonable limits, and which makes us think once
again that those who are doing so are have got far out of touch with
reality,” Lavrov said.
