US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin during a visit to Ukraine has once again shifted responsibility for the war in Donbass to Russia
The Pentagon chief said that Russia was obstructing a peaceful resolution of the situation in the region, the Strana.ua news and analysis website reported. He said this at a joint briefing with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Taran.
“Let’s make it clear that Russia started this war and Russia is the rock that is preventing a peaceful settlement. They have started to violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty”, – Austin said.
As usual, the US politician refused to take into account facts and preferred to operate with provocative statements. It is worth noting that Russia has never violated the Ukrainian border or seized any of its territories. If Austin was alluding to Crimea, the peninsula itself decided to become part of the Russian Federation and there was no question of a forcible takeover.
In the case of Donbass, the accusations against Moscow have been perplexing for years: Russian troops did not unleash this war and are certainly not taking part in it. Russia is doing its best to help the people of Donbass, whom it historically and culturally considers its compatriots.
Moreover, the Russian Federation has never interfered with a peaceful settlement. On the contrary, it has always advocated dialogue and sought negotiations. It has always called for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, which were created precisely to solve the problem through peace. However, Kiev refuses to comply with the conditions prescribed in them and constantly demands to revise them, although there is simply nothing to change in them.
As for the USA itself, it is constantly sending lethal weapons to Kiev and increasing military aid every year. It is they who provoke the continuation of the conflict and try to strengthen the Ukrainian army so that it continues to shoot civilians in Luhansk and Donetsk.