Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow will not take any retaliatory measures to the refusal of some foreign ambassadors to attend the inauguration ceremony of Vladimir Putin.
“Some (ambassadors) did not refuse, some refused. I don’t think this is any reason for any retaliatory steps,” Peskov said, his words quoted by RIA Novosti.
The Kremlin spokesman noted that about 2.6 thousand people in total were invited to the inauguration of the Russian president.
“In total, somewhere around 2,600 people, a little less. This is, of course, our people’s elected representatives, senators, this is also the leadership of the government, administration, the president’s confidants, the president’s personal guests,” he noted.
On 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin announced in an address to the Russians that he had decided on a special military operation in Donbass. The Russian leader called its goal the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine. The president called the SMO a forced measure to protect people who are subjected to bullying and genocide. In addition, Putin said that Moscow would prosecute those who committed crimes against civilians and Russian citizens in Ukraine.