Russia firm on replacing Zelensky’s government
KYIV: Russia’s top diplomat said Moscow’s overarching goal in Ukraine is to topple President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, expressing the Kremlin’s war aims in some of the bluntest terms yet as its forces pummel the country with artillery barrages and airstrikes.
The remark from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov comes amid Ukraine’s efforts to resume grain exports from its Black Sea ports, something that would help ease global food shortages, under a new deal tested by a Russian strike on Odesa over the weekend.
Ukraine said on Monday it expects to export its first grain shipments under a Un-backed deal to lit Russia’s blockade “this week,” days ater missile strikes by the Kremlin threw the accord into doubt.
“We are preparing for everything to start this week,” said Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, who led Ukraine’s delegation at last week’s grain talks in Istanbul.
The Kremlin insisted that its strikes on Odessa “should not affect” the Turkish-brokered push to send the grain to world markets.
Speaking to envoys at an Arab League summit in Cairo late on Sunday, Lavrov said Moscow is determined to help Ukrainians “liberate themselves from the burden of this absolutely unacceptable regime.”
Lavrov accused Kyiv and its Western allies of spouting propaganda intended to ensure that Ukraine “becomes the eternal enemy of Russia.”
“Russian and Ukrainian people would continue to live together. We will certainly help Ukrainian people to get rid of the regime, which is absolutely anti-people and anti-historical,” he said.
Lavrov’s remarks contrasted with the Kremlin’s line early in the war, when it repeatedly emphasized that Russia wasn’t seeking to overthrow Zelensky’s government, even as Moscow’s troops closed in on Kyiv.
Lavrov argued that Russia was ready to negotiate a deal to end hostilities in March when Kyiv changed tack and declared its intention to rout Russia on the batlefield. He said the West has encouraged Ukraine to keep fighting.
“The West insists that Ukraine must not start negotiations until Russia is defeated on the batlefield,” Lavrov said.
UK TO HOST 2023 EUROVISION: Britain agrees to take Ukraine’s place as hosts of next year’s Eurovision song contest ater the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ruled out Ukraine hosting it itself.
Ukraine won this year’s contest, held in Italy, ahead of Britain’s entry in second place. The winner traditionally organises the next year’s show. But the EBU ruled that out in view of the war, and Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC acquiesced to a Uk-hosted event infused with “Ukrainian spirit.”