DOHA, November 19. /TASS/. Qatar’s mediation to Russia and Ukraine is about much more than reunifying children evacuated from combat zones with their families, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said.
"As you know, our mediatory policy has always been geared toward reaching peace. I can confirm that Qatar is making [mediatory] efforts that go far beyond the reunification of children with their families," a TASS corresponded quoted him as saying at a briefing.
When asked by TASS to comment on Qatar’s position on the decision by a number of countries to authorize Ukraine using Western long-range weapons for strikes inside Russia, the Qatari diplomat noted that Doha "from the very first day has been supporting all efforts geared toward a peaceful resolution of this crisis."
"Qatar is making efforts to ensure the reunification of children suffering as a result of this war. We are making swift progress on this matter. The sides are openly taking part in this. And Qatar continues its efforts in this format, and, of course, toward a peace settlement," al-Ansari said.
WP allegations
The Washington Post reported in August, citing its sources, that Russia and Ukraine planned to send delegations to Doha for Qatar-brokered indirect talks to negotiate an agreement on the suspension of strikes on energy facilities. However, Ukraine’s attack on Russia’s Kursk Region foiled the would-be talks in the Qatari capital city. Later Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Rossiya-1 television channel that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been vehement that any talks with Kiev were impossible after Ukraine’s intrusion into the Kursk Region. The top diplomat also dismissed allegations about contacts aiming to arrange Qatar-mediated talks with Kiev concerning strikes on energy facilities.
The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had allowed the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia. This report was later confirmed by US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed that the US had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia. The EU Foreign Affairs Council discussed the issue, he said, adding that the council failed to come to a consensus on this matter, with each country making a decision independently.
Meanwhile, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov recalled that Moscow’s updated nuclear doctrine allows the use of nuclear arms to retaliate in the case of Ukraine’s potential use of Western non-nuclear missiles against Russia. Earlier, he slammed the West’s decision as a "qualitatively new spiral" of escalation.