Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky[/B] on Thursday accused Russia of committing "genocide" in Donbass, in the eastern part of his country.
"The ongoing offensive by the occupation forces in Donbass may make the region uninhabitable," Zelensky said during his daily taped address to the Russian armed forces, noting that they are bent on turning many towns in that region "into ashes."
Russia is engaging in "displacements" and "mass killings of civilians" in Donbass, continued Zelensky, for whom "all this () is obviously a policy of genocide perpetrated by Russia."
Zelensky's accusations mirror those of Russia, which has justified the invasion of Ukrainian territory since 24 February by citing the need to prevent the "genocide" being committed by Ukraine against the Russian-speaking population of Donbass.
In April, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a resolution calling the actions of the Russian army in the country "genocide" and calling on all the countries of the world and international organisations to do the same. US President Joe Biden has also used this term.
At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the Ukrainian president of not having the slightest intention to negotiate with Moscow and the West of supporting Kiev in this stance.
[/B][/LIST][/B][P ZELENSKY HAS SAID HE WILL ONLY NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH HIS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART, VLADIMIR PUTIN, AND ONLY IF RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES FIRST RETREAT TO THE PRE-WAR BORDER.
"It helps the West to support this intransigence," which from a "logical" point of view "does not stand up very well," the Russian foreign minister opined in remarks to the Arabic service of the Russian state TV network RT.
Source: CNA
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