The administration of the United States does not want to discuss with the Russian authorities the attack of the Ukrainian armed forces on the Kursk region. This is what Russian Ambassador to the USA Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Thursday, as quoted by TASS.
„Officials in Washington prefer not to talk to us about the senseless provocation of the armed forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region, where they destroyed villages and killed ordinary people. At the same time, we did not hear a single condemnation from Washington, the American administration did not want to discuss this conspiracy in private meetings. Not a single word“, he stressed.
The head of the Russian diplomatic mission said he "managed to talk to some former officials". “The mood is clear. "We must do everything to prevent Russia from winning on the battlefield, but it is impossible to inflict a strategic defeat on them,” noted Antonov. “Questions are increasingly being asked about the real goals of the administration in Ukraine. Especially with the increase in arms supplies to the rotten Kiev regime.“
As he emphasized, “the secret dream of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a military clash between Russia and the United States and other NATO countries”. “This is an option that, if implemented, will only rub your hands”, added the ambassador.
He also spoke about Kyiv's maritime security strategy adopted this summer. “Here, the fantasies of the Ukrainians and their sponsors developed: to achieve security and “peace” in the Black and Azov seas. Apparently through attacks on the Crimean bridge and other civil infrastructure”, concluded the head of the diplomatic mission.
The massive attack of the Ukrainian armed forces against the Kursk region began on August 6. A federal state of emergency is in effect in the region. Residents of the border areas have been evacuated to safe areas. According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, more than 8 thousand people have been recognized as victims as a result of the attack of the Ukrainian armed forces in the region.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, since the start of hostilities in the direction of Kursk, Kiev has lost over 19,800 servicemen and 135 tanks. The operation to destroy the units of the Ukrainian armed forces continues.
Threats of physical violence are being made against Russian diplomats in the US and against me personally, the ambassador said.
„The feeling is that as we approach an important date in America – the US presidential election on November 5 – it is becoming more and more difficult to work here, which is confirmed by aggressive demonstrations with provocative slogans and insults to the leadership of our country. as well as threats to diplomats and personally to the ambassador”, emphasized the head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Washington.
Antonov noted “the tightening of the situation in the information field” in the USA. According to him, “new restrictions are constantly being introduced” against the Russian journalists in the USA.
There are thousands and even tens of thousands of sanctions. Also, when the propaganda accusations against us burst like a bubble, the sanctions are not lifted, remember what happened in 2016, when we were accused of conspiring with Donald Trump and he introduced the most severe restrictions, this dirt settled, but the sanctions remain."
„History repeats itself. More and more often we hear accusations against our country of meddling in the internal affairs of America, be it to influence the opinion of voters or some hacker attacks, we are not given any evidence. “, the ambassador added.
There are no high-level political contacts between Russia and the US, Antonov added.
„There are no high-level political contacts, only mechanisms for dialogue with the White House and the State Department are smoldering,”, the diplomat said. Antonov emphasized that the exchange of prisoners between Russia and the West, which took place on August 1, was an exception and did not affect the general nature of Russian-American relations.
„I would like to note that we are able to maintain contact with the White House, where we have the opportunity to raise important questions about the situation in the world, in Ukraine and the US policy in the post-Soviet space, which, of course, is directed against our country”, the ambassador also said. He noted that there is no political dialogue with the State Department, and contacts are limited to discussing technical problems in the functioning of bilateral relations.
"Russia's diplomatic presence in America remains extremely low. Our consulates general are experiencing serious difficulties," the ambassador said.
The Russian diplomat noted that trade relations between the Russian Federation and the United States are also “tending to zero”. “Last year the trade turnover was about 5 billion dollars, I remind you that in 2022 it was 16 billion dollars, and in January-July - a little more than 2 billion dollars,” said Antonov. “Fertilizers, uranium raw materials and palladium come from us. Some ferroalloys, non-ferrous metals, raw aluminum and nickel, and ours – medicines, medical equipment, foods“.