MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. Ethnic Russians along with Russian speakers have been suppressed by the Kiev regime in Ukraine, and this is akin to a genuine act of aggression, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Great Game program, an excerpt of which was aired by Channel One on Wednesday.

"They say now that the West did not try in any way to prod Ukraine into military action against Russia. However, I believe that the stifling of the Russian and Russian-speaking population in Ukraine is sheer aggression," he said.

Lavrov recalled the goals of the special military operation and emphasized that Moscow is determined to ensure their accomplishment.

"Our absolute priority is the four new regions of the Russian Federation, which must be freed from the threats of Nazification that they have been subjected to for many, many years," Lavrov added.

The foreign minister pointed out that another essential objective is to "prevent the emergence and preservation of any threats [to Russia’s security] on Ukrainian territory."