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Military operation in Ukraine

Western diplomats offer nod and wink to Moscow’s operation in Donbass, says Russian envoy

It is stated that there is clandestine support from Western officials as well

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Some Western diplomats are giving a nod and a wink to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Konstantin Gavrilov, who leads the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, said on Thursday.

"Some [diplomats] are stubborn to the bone and some even silently applaud below the radar," Gavrilov said. "They call us and say that ‘We understand you, fight till the end, we are supporting you quietly.’"

"Nobody supports us openly, but the CSTO [the Collective Security Treaty Organization] does." He noted. "However, there is clandestine support from Western officials as well."

Russia’s military operation in Donbass

The situation at the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on February 17. Back then, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) reported the most massive bombardment by the Ukrainian military in months, which damaged civilian infrastructure and inflicted casualties upon the population.

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions stipulating the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as of the beginning of 2014.

Russian President Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics, he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.

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Foreign policy Military operation in Ukraine

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