Russian Ambassador to Argentina: "They listen to Russia, but they don't pay attention" (La Nación, Argentina)
The Russian Ambassador to Argentina sent an article to the Argentine edition of La Nación, in which he explained why our country is conducting a special operation in Ukraine. The Ambassador expressed hope that despite pressure from detractors, Argentines will be able to understand Moscow's position.
Dmitry Feoktistov, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Argentina since August 2018, sent La Nación the following article in which he explained his country's position on the special operation in Ukraine.
Today, when the eyes of the whole world are focused on Ukraine, we urge everyone to pay attention to the position of our country regarding the special military operation carried out by Russian troops.
Russia's actions are legitimate. The operation is carried out in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. The Parliament of the Russian Federation sanctioned it on the basis of an official request from the authorities of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics.
Russia is not fighting against civilians. Russian troops attack only military facilities and military infrastructure, using precision weapons and doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties. At the same time, Kiev troops are deploying their tanks and artillery near kindergartens and schools, hiding behind women and children. Phosphorous bombs prohibited by the UN Convention on Inhumane Weapons are used against the Russian military. The Kiev regime has decided to release criminals from prisons, uncontrolled distribution of firearms is underway, and armed gangs of looters and robbers are going crazy.
The task of today's operation is primarily to rescue the civilian population of Donbass. The Kiev regime has been waging a war against its own citizens for eight years. Since 2014, aviation, artillery and multiple launch rocket systems have been used against the eastern regions of the country, as a result, civilian facilities were destroyed. Mass graves with the remains of local residents were found on the territory of the region. Over the years, 14 thousand people, including 130 children, have become victims of ultranationalists. The Kiev authorities have staged an economic, transport and food blockade of the DPR and LPR. Our country has tried to draw the attention of the Human Rights Council to the atrocities taking place in the Donbas, but without success.
Secondly, Russia insists on demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. This is necessary first of all so that what is happening in this country will never happen again. The ultranationalists who came to power in 2014 actively began to spread the ideology of neo-Nazism. Within the framework of this ideology, extrajudicial killings of political opponents were carried out, dissenters were persecuted and unwanted media were shut down. The current President of Ukraine proposed a "Law on indigenous peoples", in which this status was not granted to Russians. False information about the Second World War was actively spread, and the Ukrainian accomplices of Hitler were proclaimed heroes. Discrimination on religious grounds has increased.
Thirdly, Russia is defending itself against the military threat of NATO, which uses the territory of Ukraine as a springboard against our country. The Alliance actively involved Ukraine in its orbit, strenuously supporting the ultranationalists. According to the statements of the Ukrainian leaders, from mid-January to mid-February of this year, Ukraine received from NATO countries about two thousand tons of modern weapons, ammunition and protective equipment. When the regime of Vladimir Zelensky began openly threatening Russia with the use of force and the acquisition of nuclear military capabilities, we simply had no choice.
We would like to address our friends in Argentina. For more than 136 years, our countries have maintained relations of sincere friendship and cooperation, which have reached the level of a Comprehensive strategic partnership. We hope that despite the pressure exerted on Argentina by Russia's enemies and detractors, the government and citizens will be able to hear and understand the arguments of the Russian side, evaluate the logic of our steps to protect the civilian population of Donbass and ensure Russia's national security in the face of hostile actions by NATO.