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Military operation in Ukraine

Russian lawmaker sees little worth in any talks with `externally governed’ Ukraine

According to Leonid Slutsky, "Ukraine, though self-destructing, is still a country, and nobody is challenging this status"

MOSCOW, January 2. /TASS/. Ukraine is losing its sovereignty and independence, and talks with its leadership will not be worth a thing, as long as the country is being externally governed, Chairman of the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky wrote on his Telegram channel on Monday, commenting on a statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The NATO chief earlier told the BBC that the West should continue providing its military assistance to Ukraine to force Russia to sit down and negotiate as well as to recognize Ukraine as a sovereign and independent European nation.

According to Slutsky, "Ukraine, though self-destructing, is still a country, and nobody is challenging this status. The goal of the special military operation is to protect our citizens from the Kiev neo-Nazi regime’s aggression, not to destroy Ukraine."

As for Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, he said, Kiev is losing both fast, because of its Western patrons. "With Ukraine being completely governed from the outside, any such negotiations will not be worth a thing," the Russian lawmaker said.

Slutsky also doubted that Kiev would win. "The goals of the special military operation will be attained. The slogans of `freedom and democracy’ behind which the Kiev regime has been concealing its neo-Nazi essence will not help it, for it is doomed [to failure]," the chairman of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee said with confidence.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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