06:57South Africa: 'It's almost not a hybrid war anymore, but almost actual war' - Lavrov on conflict with West
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that events in Ukraine are "almost not a hybrid war anymore, but an actual war" while speaking at a press conference following talks with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor in Pretoria on Monday.
"When we talk about what is happening in Ukraine, we are talking about the fact that it's almost not a hybrid war anymore, but actual war, which the West has been preparing for a long time against Russia, seeking to destroy everything Russian," said Lavrov.
The diplomat also stressed that he has no idea why Russian joint training exercises with China and South Africa evoke "mixed reactions" from the public, while the US manoeuvres off the coast of China are not widely discussed.
From her side, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor mentioned that 'all countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide'.
"There should be no compulsion on any country that it should conduct that with any other partners. <…> We need to explain this to the public, maybe as the broadcaster you could develop a list of military exercises that have been just in the last year up to the one's planned by China, Russia and South Africa," added the diplomat.
Joint naval drills uniting Russia, China and South Africa will be conducted from February 17 to 27. According to the official statement published by the South African Defence Ministry on its Twitter account, the drills will be held in Durban and Richards-Bay areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal province with counterparts having "an aim of sharing operational skills and knowledge".
Moscow launched the military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
06:57Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that events in Ukraine are "almost not a hybrid war anymore, but an actual war" while speaking at a press conference following talks with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor in Pretoria on Monday.
"When we talk about what is happening in Ukraine, we are talking about the fact that it's almost not a hybrid war anymore, but actual war, which the West has been preparing for a long time against Russia, seeking to destroy everything Russian," said Lavrov.
The diplomat also stressed that he has no idea why Russian joint training exercises with China and South Africa evoke "mixed reactions" from the public, while the US manoeuvres off the coast of China are not widely discussed.
From her side, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor mentioned that 'all countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide'.
"There should be no compulsion on any country that it should conduct that with any other partners. <…> We need to explain this to the public, maybe as the broadcaster you could develop a list of military exercises that have been just in the last year up to the one's planned by China, Russia and South Africa," added the diplomat.
Joint naval drills uniting Russia, China and South Africa will be conducted from February 17 to 27. According to the official statement published by the South African Defence Ministry on its Twitter account, the drills will be held in Durban and Richards-Bay areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal province with counterparts having "an aim of sharing operational skills and knowledge".
Moscow launched the military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.