SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, August 3. /TASS/. Russia will never abandon the people of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics and it will continue to provide support for this region, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a meeting with participants in Russia's national education youth forum Terra Scientia.

"I can merely repeat what our country's leadership said: Russia will never abandon either Donetsk, or Lugansk. In the first place, this concerns the people who will be supported. This support has not stopped for a minute, let me stress once again, not for a minute, over years," Zakharova said. "I am saying so not because I am someone who is somehow involved in foreign policy matters and international relations, but as a citizen of our country, who sees from inside what is being done to ensure the people we call compatriots, the people who have become or are becoming Russian citizens know that there is someone to stand for their lives, not only for their rights, but in the first place, their lives." 

She stressed that speculations to the effect Russia had not done enough to provide assistance to the people of that region were at least unfair and did not reflect the real state of affairs. I can tell you as a person who is somehow concerned with this issue: a great deal has been done politically, economically, financially and in pure humanitarian terms," Zakharova said.

She stated that Russia would by no means take a break and would continue to exert the maximum efforts to provide more assistance to Donetsk and Lugansk.

"We have heard so many threats from our Western partners, so many sanctions have been taken and there has been so much aggression and blackmail against us over these years. Have we inched back at least once? Have we said at least once 'We are sorry it happened this way?' No. Have we ever revised our fundamental principles despite the colossal international pressure? Never," Zakharova stated.