EMBASSY INFORMS
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Question: How would you comment on the statement by the UK FCO spokesperson on chemical weapons use in Aleppo?
Answer: The statement reflects the worst traditions of the modern UK diplomacy in both form and substance: no attempts are made to present any evidence supporting its allegations, instead phrases of little value, such as “likely”, “highly likely” or “highly unlikely”, are being used excessively.
More than nine months have passed since the incident with the Russian citizens Sergei and Yulia Skripal. The British authorities have been in breach of their obligations under five basic international conventions as they persistently refuse to work together with the Russian side, fail to use official channels for bilateral exchange of information and make every effort to cover up the circumstances of the incident. The Skripals have not been seen alive for a long time. Their whereabouts and health status are unknown.
Question: How would you comment on British media reports claiming that British security services are currently witnessing intensive activity of Russian intelligence officers allegedly working under diplomatic cover? Answer: Unfortunately, the spy hysteria in the British society is aggravating. The content of such publications, which regularly appear in the British media with the connivance of the authorities, shows that the current Conservative government is increasing its efforts to create a “toxic” image of the Russian Embassy in order to complicate our interaction with the British public as much as possible. Embassy staff travelling across the country is an absolutely normal, lawful and indispensable part of their work and daily life. Yet it is displayed as some kind of intelligence missions. This amounts to an attempt to limit the Embassy’s routine operations to a minimum.
Question: The UK Government openly distorts the circumstances of the incident in the Kerch Strait on 25 November. What do you think is the reason for that? Answer: Unfortunately, the Ukrainian provocation in the Black Sea, as well as the general situation in the region, continues to be used by a number of Western countries, including the UK, to stir anti-Russian rhetoric. The details of the incident, most notably the blatant and deliberate violation of the territorial waters of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian ships, are ignored by the UK Government. A number of British media outlets have also given a biased assessment of Russian actions in the Kerch Strait.
Question: Recently British government officials have been actively urging to step up pressure on Russia by imposing new sanctions. How would you comment on this matter?
Answer: We have taken note of such calls. Those statements have clearly shown the anti-Russian essence of the current Conservative government’s policies. The British officials are doing their utmost to avoid conducting a normal intergovernmental dialogue with Russia, while using only the language of ultimatums and sanctions, and are actively urging their partners, first and foremost in Europe, to act in a similar manner.
Question: How would you comment on the publications in British media claiming that “Channel One Russia” journalists were involved in some sort of “spying activity”? Answer: We have taken note of the numerous publications with accusations against “Channel One Russia” journalists of “spying”, as well as of the instruction by the British Ministry of Defence that soldiers should not talk to Russian journalists and report them to the police if they ever see them near military installations. Such ungrounded accusations raise much concern. “Channel One Russia” works in the UK officially and openly, with all the necessary paperwork, in accordance with British law. In fact, this cannot always be said about certain UK journalists working in Russia.
Question: How would you comment on the statement made by MI6 chief Alex Younger, who has named Russia as one of Britain’s “adversaries who regard themselves as being in a state of perpetual confrontation with the UK”?
Answer: We have carefully taken note of the speech by the MI6 chief. In fact, it is Britain that regards itself in a state of perpetual confrontation with Russia, entirely on its own initiative.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. I'm at your service.
Question: Good afternoon, Mr President.
With all due respect to Argentina’s G20 Presidency, I still have a question about Russia-US relations. Once again, your meeting with President Trump fell through; he cancelled it at the last moment. Maybe he is wary of you, maybe he had some other reasons. Why do you think he did this, and how can one develop or maintain a dialogue with the United States in such conditions?
During the working trip to Scotland the Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko met with the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) Ken Macintosh MSP. The parties held a constructive and substantive conversation.
Question: How would you comment on the statement made by UK Prime Minister Theresa May on the eve of the G-20 summit, claiming that Russia should de-escalate the situation in the Kerch Strait? Answer: First of all, we would like to remind that the recent events in the Kerch Strait have obviously been a provocation orchestrated from Kiev. The Ukrainian ships entered Russian territorial waters (in the area that belonged to Russia even before 2014) and deliberately ignored requests by Russian border guards.
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