MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. The Kiev authorities’ belligerent rhetoric indicates their wish to send the Donbass conflict into a hot phase, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference on Monday, while commenting on media reports Kiev has for the first time used US anti-tank systems Javelin in the southeast of Ukraine.
"I have not heard this news. I have seen no reports. In principle, over the past weeks and months we have seen a heavy mind-flow from the Ukrainian leadership, in particular, military officials, a flow of thoughts generated by deranged and for this reason very dangerous minds. That this belligerent rhetoric is being stepped up apparently reflects the wish to stage some provocation and to send the conflict into a hot phase," Lavrov said in reply to a TASS question.
"Warmongering is the only word I can think of to describe Kiev’s aggressive plans. They are threatening to use the Javelin and they have already used the Bayraktar. They have never said they did that accidentally. Its use is categorically outlawed under the Minsk agreements. They declared that with pride. There was some sort of confusion at the beginning. First, they said, ‘yes, it did happen’. Then they denied it, ‘no, there was nothing of the sort’. But eventually they acknowledged it and said that they would continue to use attack drones in Donbass, thus defying their commitments under the Minsk Deal once again," Lavrov said.
Another example of belligerent rhetoric, he stressed, was seen in the allegation the Ukrainian military have no restrictions regarding the use of weapons in Donbass to abide by.
"This is tantamount to Ukraine’s refusal to comply with its obligations signed in July 2020 to the effect how it should react to fire and how the opening of return fire must be agreed," Lavrov said.