NOVANEWS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Ukrainian security forces may be planning to use “chemical poisonous substances” in the Donbass region, speaking in her weekly press briefing in Moscow on Wednesday.
Citing reports originating from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the spokesperson said that such information “cannot but cause concern.”
“We call on the OSCE monitoring mission to intensify its monitoring activities in Donbass. What is required is not fragmentary information but a comprehensive view of the military preparations of the Ukraine’s army,” she added.
Zakharova also discussed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, calling it “one of the key pillars of international security and stability,” adding that Russia is “vehemently opposed to the scrapping of the agreement and ready to continue dialogue in appropriate formats.”
The spokesperson went on to discuss the so-called yellow vest demonstrations in France, during which hundreds of people, including journalist, have been injured.
“We call on Paris to avoid the excessive use of force, as well as to abstain from using force against journalists. To not forget about the norms of respect for freedom of speech and ensuring the safety of the activities of the media,” she said.
The spokesperson said as well that Moscow hopes Israel will not violate UN Security Council’s resolutions during its ongoing military operation on the Israel-Lebanon border.
“Israel’s right to defend its national security, including by preventing the illegal entry of anyone, is beyond question. But at the same time we express hope that the actions carried out with this aim will not contradict the provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” she concluded.
