Gennady GatilovGENEVA, Feb 10, Elizaveta Isakova. Russia has no plans to invade Ukraine, in this makes no sense, Gennady Gatilov, Russia's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, said in an interview with RIA Novosti. Therefore, I repeat: Russia does not and did not have plans to invade Ukraine. There is no motive or geostrategic purpose in this. And most importantly — even a hint of common sense, since Russia has always advocated and advocates smooth, mutually beneficial and pragmatic relations with all countries, not only with neighbors" — stressed the permanent representative.
Gatilov recalled the words of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who had previously stated that «if it depends on Russia, then there will be no war.» “What other additions are needed?,” the diplomat added. Recently, the Ukrainian army has concentrated half of its personnel in the Donbass and regularly shells the militias, including with the use of prohibited equipment — the Turkish strike drone Bayraktar, as well as the Smerch and Uragan MLRS «. In addition, they have at their disposal Javelin anti-tank missile systems supplied from the United States as military assistance. Moscow has repeatedly drawn the attention of Washington and European countries to the fact that the Ukrainian authorities are trying in every possible way to sabotage the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Western countries have repeatedly announced that Russia is preparing an «invasion» of Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegations and believes the reports are a pretext for deploying U.S. and NATO forces in Eastern Europe. de-escalation in Ukraine, said the French Foreign Ministry