Russian Envoy Says US, Zelensky Not Ready for Peace
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the United States has shown that he and the US leadership do not want peace and are not ready for it, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said.
"Zelensky's visit here, the conversations in Washington have shown that neither the (US) administration nor Zelensky is ready for peace," Antonov said in a statement, Sputnik reported.
"The theses appearing in the American media that Russia is not interested in achieving peace are false," he said, adding that Moscow's position had been repeatedly voiced by the Russian president.
Zelensky's visit to the United States has shown that Washington's statements about avoiding a direct confrontation with Moscow are an "empty phrase," Antonov said.
"(Zelensky's) visit to Washington, staged in Hollywood style, has ultimately confirmed that the administration's conciliatory statements about the lack of intention to enter into a confrontation with Russia are an 'empty phrase,'" Antonov said in a statement distributed by the Russian embassy.
The ambassador added that the visit could be seen as an announcement of the need to bring the Ukraine conflict to a complete victory over Russia.
"Basically, with bursts of applause and sarcastic smirks, the need to continue the 'proxy war' against our country was announced. Until a complete victory over us," Antonov said, adding that "colossal resources, weapons, and intelligence capabilities are being thrown to achieve this. The maniacal idea of 'defeating the Russians on the battlefield' is at the forefront. Some lawmakers even claim that the Russian Federation can be conquered in three days."
Antonov, following Washington's announcement of deliveries of Patriot missile defense systems to Kiev, said that the Russian military is systematically destroying Western arms in Ukraine.
"Here (in Washington), they cannot help but realize that Western weapons are being systematically destroyed by our military," Antonov said in a statement.
The ambassador said that the missile systems would be sent to Ukraine despite warnings from Moscow and expressed concerns about whether Western specialists would maintain systems that Ukrainians lack the skills to operate.
"I think that everyone is well aware of what fate might await personnel who would operate these systems in Ukraine," Antonov said.
"I would like to emphasize that we, at all levels, have repeatedly tried and are trying to appeal to common sense. We have stressed that the provocative actions on the part of the US are steadily leading to an escalation, the consequences of which are even impossible to imagine. For example, speculations about a hypothetical delivery of ATACMS missiles and long-range attack drones to Ukrainians are a matter of great concern," the ambassador said.
Antonov said that Washington "bears full responsibility for unleashing the Ukraine conflict in 2014," adding that "all these years, Washington has been stubbornly ignoring, or pretending not to notice, inhumane crimes of the Kiev regime against the Russian population of Ukraine."
Zelensky met with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday to discuss battlefield strategy, Ukraine's energy needs and sanctions against Russia.
During a speech to a joint session of US Congress, Zelensky asked the US lawmakers to strengthen sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine and to provide his forces with more weapons.
