MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. Escalating strikes deep inside Russia will only further devastate industry and the economy in the territory controlled by the Kiev regime, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov (2010-2014) told TASS.
"The escalation of strikes deep inside Russia can lead to only one thing - the further destruction of production, industry and the economy in the territory controlled by the Kiev regime," he said. Azarov recalled that during a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that Ukraine's escalation of strikes deep inside Russia would help create conditions for negotiations to end the conflict.
"Later, I read reports claiming that [US President Donald] Trump had backed [Rubio], but I haven't seen that myself. In any case, I have a simple question: Is this some kind of schizophrenia? If you, Trump, are for peace, then why support strikes deep inside Russia? Are you calling for war? And if you support Rubio, then which of you should we believe? You are for peace, while he is for war. That hardly seems consistent," Azarov said.
The former prime minister said that if the Russian side holds talks with Trump, it should ask him directly how his role as a mediator seeking to resolve the conflict can be reconciled with support for strikes deep inside Russia. "How this should be viewed? Does it mean participation in the war? If so, then we have to proceed on that basis. Then what kind of peace are you talking about? That is a perfectly logical question, and it needs to be asked. It can be phrased in any diplomatic way, but the Americans must answer it. If they say, 'Yes, we support it,' then everything becomes clear. In that case, a way to counter such a decision must be found," Azarov concluded.