Moscow slams Blinken’s statement about deporting Ukrainians as 'lie'
3 Min Read
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson accuses US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of telling lies ad fiction regarding the forced displacement of Ukrainians.
-
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova
The Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's claim that Russia "forcibly deported" 1.6 million Ukrainians is a "fiction".
Blinken tweeted on Wednesday that Russia must end "filtration" activities in Ukraine, which have "disappeared, arrested, or forcibly deported up to 1.6 million innocent Ukrainians."
Read next: Zakharova calls out Blinken for rumors about 'isolation' of Russia
"This is a lie," Zakharova told the Solovyov Live show, adding that it is impossible to imagine how can a country distribute its passports forcefully.
Moscow to respond to EU’s explanation regarding Kaliningrad Transit
In another context, Russia is preparing a response to the European Union's explanation of sanctions and their impact on transit to the Kaliningrad region, said Zakharova on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the European Commission issued clarifications on the restrictions, stating that only road transportation of sanctioned Russian cargo is forbidden, while rail transit is permitted subject to sufficient controls.
"At the moment, we are carefully studying the explanations provided by the European Commission, analyzing them from the point of view of the priority task - the comprehensive life support of the Kaliningrad region," Zakharova said in a statement, published by the Foreign Ministry.
According to the statement, "This decision, which removes restrictions on a certain range of products transported by rail, is a sign of realism and common sense. Although we still have questions about the content of this document."
Putin signs decree fast-tracking citizenship
It is worth noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree simplifying obtaining Russian citizenship for all residents of Ukraine.
The decree states that "citizens of Ukraine, Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) or Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and people without citizenship permanently living in DPR, LPR or Ukraine […] are entitled to appeal for admission to citizenship of the Russian Federation via the simplified procedure in accordance with the […] law 'On citizenship of the Russian Federation.'"
The previous version of the decree only covered residents of DPR, LPR, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions. The decree mentions that service in the armed forces or law enforcement of Donbass republics will not be an obstruction to obtaining Russian citizenship.
