MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The collective West and Ukraine exert pressure on Russia’s allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), BRICS, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in an attempt to arrange the transfer of weapons to the Kiev regime, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Friday.
"In addition to the partner and satellite states of NATO and EU members, such as Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Japan and some others, which are enthusiastically providing the Kiev regime of [Ukrainian President] Vladimir Zelensky with such hardware and munitions either willingly or under overt or covert compulsion, even Russia’s allies and partners in the CSTO, CIS, SCO and BRICS come under pressure," Zakharova stressed.
According to the diplomat, the Russian Foreign Ministry is well aware of the relentless, unprecedented pressure exerted by the "Western handlers" of Zelensky and his criminal "team" on countries that previously purchased weapons and munitions for their national defense needs.
"The most disgusting techniques of intimidation and blackmail are being used, up to threats of physical violence, seizure or confiscation of property and bank assets in the West as well as a wide range of means of pressure against family members and close relatives of various statesmen living there," the diplomat added. "In other words, all imaginable and unimaginable techniques, typical of the Middle Ages with its Inquisition and barbaric colonial conquests, are being used."
Zakharova pointed out that Moscow was still closely following the situation with the deliveries of any weapons, munitions and special equipment to the criminal Kiev regime.
"We thank those countries that are able to withstand massive pressure in this regard on the part of the collective West," she continued. "We urge our allies, partners and like-minded associates to keep sticking to their principled stance in such matters and not to succumb to assurances and promises of compensation, dividends, and all sorts of benefits and privileges."
Impact on bilateral relations
The diplomat said that shipments through rogue firms, "third and fourth intermediaries," disguised as a lease or "temporary storage," with removed or fictitious labels or with the use of other intricate ploys will be unmasked under any circumstances and will most negatively affect the prospects for bilateral ties with Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman recalled that "the United States and its Euro-Atlantic allies triggered the current Ukraine crisis when they blatantly deceived the legitimate government of Viktor Yanukovich, thus supporting the fascist nationalists’ bloody coup in Kiev, playing dirty ‘games’ with the Minsk agreements, and in fact, condoned the genocide of the Russian-speaking population in Donbass and across Ukraine."
"It is against this revolting background that they have built a war machine in Ukraine to inflict ‘a strategic defeat’ on the Russian Federation so as to maintain their own long-term dominance in the military, political, financial, economic, scientific, industrial and technological areas, as well as to implement their highly dubious cultural and civilizational values," Zakharova concluded.