Russia has once again defended its military operations in Ukraine, insisting they are not acts of aggression but a response to what it describes as “years of oppression” against Russian-speaking communities.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podelyshev, traced the origins of the conflict to Ukraine’s 2014 political crisis, which Moscow maintains was a Western-backed coup.
“For eight years, the people of Donbass endured bombardments and discrimination, while the Minsk Agreements that could have ensured peace were undermined,” he said. Podelyshev argued that Russia’s recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk in February 2022 followed what it saw as growing threats from Kyiv, prompting the launch of its “Special Military Operation.”
“Russia did not initiate aggression in Ukraine. We responded to appeals for help and acted under international law to end hostilities that began in 2014,” he stated.
On Crimea, the envoy insisted that the 2014 referendum justified the peninsula’s integration into Russia, citing the UN Charter’s principle of self-determination. He further claimed that NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s bid for membership posed a direct threat to Russia’s security.
“Any lasting peace must remove threats to Russia’s security and acknowledge the new territorial realities, including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as part of Russia,” Podelyshev added.
He stressed that Moscow remains open to negotiations but said talks must be “substantive, not symbolic,” urging Ukraine and its Western allies to accept compromise as the only viable route to peace.
Moscow Calls for ‘New Realities’ in Ukraine Peace Talks, Insists on Security Guarantees
