UNITED NATIONS, January 22. /TASS/. Russia’s special military operation is aimed at the criminal Kiev regime, not Ukraine or its brotherly people, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Russia started a special military operation in February 2022 not against Ukraine or the Ukrainian people, with whom we still have brotherly ties. It is no coincidence that after 2014, almost 7 million Ukrainians found refuge on the territory of Russia," Lavrov said at a UN Security Council meeting dedicated to the situation in Ukraine. "We were forced to launch a military operation against the criminal regime, which had crossed the line as it had a sense of impunity and was unwilling, despite our numerous efforts over many years, to give up the war against its own citizens in the south and southeast of Ukraine and the policy of total discrimination against Russian-speaking Ukrainians, who are still the majority in that country."

"The regime of [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky did this in violation not only of the Minsk agreements that were approved by the UN Security Council, but also of the elementary principles of the functioning of a civilized society and in flagrant violation of fundamental human rights, including the rights of national minorities that are enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution," the minister stated.

"Western handlers of the Kiev regime, who were behind the anti-constitutional coup in Kiev 10 years ago, have not only failed to rein in the leaders of the Kiev clique during all this time, but have been quietly arming Ukraine and preparing it for war against Russia under the cover of the Minsk Package of Measures," the minister said. "We know this now from the confessions of the people who were directly involved in this, who drafted and signed the Minsk agreements and submitted them to this council for approval."