Day: December 27, 2024

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that France suggested negotiations without Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes there is no reason to trust Russia, stated Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi at a press conference.

Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that France had repeatedly approached Russia through closed channels, proposing dialogue without Ukrainian involvement.

Lavrov stated that Russia is open to contacts but criticized France, calling it the “primary advocate for sending so-called peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.”

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi emphasized that there is no reason to trust another Russian lie, but there is a reason to trust the partners.

“The purpose of these comments is clear: to sow discord between Ukraine and France, between Ukraine and its allies. This is a typical Russian strategy. The author of these comments is not only a war criminal, but also a pathological liar. This person claimed that the bombing of the maternity hospital in Mariupol and the atrocities in Bucha were staged. It seems to me that after these words, trusting him is to disrespect oneself,” Tykhyi said.

France’s assistance

At the beginning of the full-scale war, French President Emmanuel Macron tried to maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, Macron later changed his position. He was the first to propose sending military instructors to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces on their territory. He also supports the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine.

Most partners currently reject the idea, but there are those who are ready to consider this prospect.

The German Defense Minister said that Berlin is ready to discuss the deployment of peacekeeping troops, but only if Russia agrees to it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that France suggested negotiations without Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes there is no reason to trust Russia, stated Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi at a press conference.

Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that France had repeatedly approached Russia through closed channels, proposing dialogue without Ukrainian involvement.

Lavrov stated that Russia is open to contacts but criticized France, calling it the “primary advocate for sending so-called peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.”

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi emphasized that there is no reason to trust another Russian lie, but there is a reason to trust the partners.

“The purpose of these comments is clear: to sow discord between Ukraine and France, between Ukraine and its allies. This is a typical Russian strategy. The author of these comments is not only a war criminal, but also a pathological liar. This person claimed that the bombing of the maternity hospital in Mariupol and the atrocities in Bucha were staged. It seems to me that after these words, trusting him is to disrespect oneself,” Tykhyi said.

France’s assistance

At the beginning of the full-scale war, French President Emmanuel Macron tried to maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, Macron later changed his position. He was the first to propose sending military instructors to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces on their territory. He also supports the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine.

Most partners currently reject the idea, but there are those who are ready to consider this prospect.

The German Defense Minister said that Berlin is ready to discuss the deployment of peacekeeping troops, but only if Russia agrees to it.

Azerbaijan Airlines has revealed the cause of the Embraer 190 plane crash in Kazakhstan. The company believes the crash occurred due to “physical and technical external interference,” according to a statement by Azerbaijan Airlines on Twitter (X).

The statement indicates that preliminary investigation results into the crash of Embraer 190 flight J2-8243 point to external physical and technical interference.

Azerbaijan Airlines notes that because of this, as well as the risks that may arise for flight safety, flights from Baku to several airports in Russia have been suspended.

Starting December 28, per a decision by Azerbaijan’s State Civil Aviation Agency, flights will no longer be operated to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vladikavkaz.

Additionally, as of December 25, the airline suspended flights from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala.

For safety reasons, it was also decided to suspend flights of other airlines to Grozny and Makhachkala.

Plane crash in Kazakhstan

On December 25, a passenger plane, Embraer 190, crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The aircraft, owned by Azerbaijan Airlines, was operating flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny.

The crash claimed the lives of 38 people. A total of 67 passengers and crew were on board.

Initially, reports suggested the crash was caused by a collision with birds. However, later media reports claimed that the plane was shot down by Russian air defense in Grozny. The head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, confirmed that the aircraft was brought down by a Russian Pantsir-S1 missile system on Russian territory.

According to media reports, Azerbaijan acknowledged that the crash was caused by a Russian missile. Meanwhile, Russia denies responsibility and refuses to admit its involvement in the incident.

Read more about the Kazakhstan plane crash and how Russia is trying to avoid accountability in RBC-Ukraine’s material.