Nebenzia
© Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesVassily Nebenzia • UN Security Council • February 24, 2023
Russia is only willing to discuss peace in Ukraine if the goals it has proclaimed for its military operation are included in the deal, Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow's permanent representative to the UN, warned on Friday. The diplomat made the remarks during a meeting of the UN Security Council marking the first anniversary of the ongoing hostilities. He stated:
"Russia is ready to negotiate a peaceful realization of the goals of the special military operation, and will not even consider any other scenarios."
The official goals of the operation, according to Moscow, include the "demilitarization" and "denazification" of Ukraine, as well as protecting the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk from Kiev's onslaught, which has been dragging on since the 2014 Maidan events. Russian incorporated both republics, along with the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, after the overwhelming majority of their populations voted in favor of the idea last September.

Nebenzia insisted that Russia never harbored any plans to destroy Ukraine as an independent state. Despite repeated claims by the collective West, a cessation of hostilities by Kiev would only give Ukraine the chance to become a "normal" country again.

Nebenzia stated:
"Your slogans should actually sound like this: If Russia stops the hostilities, Ukraine will continue the discrimination and persecution of the Russian-speaking population for those who do not want to break [ties] with Russia, the violation of rights and freedoms and the glorification of Nazi criminals will continue.

"If Ukraine stops hostilities, it will get the chance to be reborn as a normal, peaceful, independent state and save many thousands of human lives."
The continuous support of Kiev by the collective West, and the US in particular, only fuels the conflict and further damages their ties with Russia, Nebenzia warned. Fixing ties with Moscow primarily serves Washington's own best interests, he noted, adding that Russia already doesn't trust anything the West says:
"We no longer believe in your words and regaining our trust will not be easy, if at all possible - not words are important here, but deeds.

"So far, you are only making the situation worse by continuing to pump weaponry into the Kiev regime and help it on the battlefield. And you leave us no other options but to eliminate the threats to Russia emerging from the territory of Ukraine through military means."
At the same time, Nebenzia lauded Beijing's efforts to bring the ongoing conflict to an end, commenting on the 12-point roadmap unveiled by China earlier in the day. The roadmap urged all sides of the conflict to "stay rational and exercise restraint," while calling upon the international community to encourage all efforts to end the year-long hostilities.

"We welcome sincere efforts on the path towards peace, such as China's proposal," Nebenzia stated.