In an interview, Russia’s foreign minister described the capture of eastern Ukraine’s Donbass as an “unconditional priority”. He rejected speculation about Putin’s possible illness.
In an interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded to a question about President Vladimir Putin’s health and rejected speculation about a possible illness.
The President, who turns 70 in October, appears in public every day, the Foreign Minister said. “You can watch him on the screens, read and hear his performances. I don’t think reasonable people can see signs of illness or malaise in this person,” Lavrov said in an interview with French broadcaster TF1, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The ministry published the answers on Sunday on its website.
Rumor has it that things are not going well for the Kremlin boss, who had to undergo an operation in May. This cannot be confirmed, as Putin’s medical records are a closely guarded secret. His health and personal life are taboo subjects in Russia and almost never discussed in public.
Recently, a possible cancer of Putin was the focus of attention: The US magazine “New Lines” recently reported that Putin is suffering from blood cancer and needs large amounts of medication. A confidant of the Kremlin chief unwittingly revealed this. Previously, a team of Russian investigative journalists found out that Putin has been accompanied by specialist doctors almost continuously for several years.
Lavrov speaks of “liberation” of the Donbass
In the interview, Lavrov also spoke about taking the eastern Ukrainian Donbass and described it as an “unconditional priority”. It is about pushing the Ukrainian army and battalions out of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which Moscow recognizes as independent states, Lavrov said in an interview with the French broadcaster TF1, according to the Russian foreign ministry. The ministry published the answers on Sunday on its website.
In other areas of Ukraine where Russia is conducting a “military operation,” residents themselves must decide their future, Lavrov said. On the other hand, the government in Kyiv expects that there could be a controlled referendum in the Ukrainian region of Cherson on the proclamation of a “people’s republic” based on the model of the pro-Russian separatist areas of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Lavrov repeatedly causes trouble with statements
At the beginning of the war of aggression on February 24, Putin said that Moscow did not want to occupy the Ukrainian territories but would see how the people would react. In the interview, Lavrov again spoke of an alleged “liberation” of the Donbass from the “Kiev regime”.
The foreign minister repeatedly caused outrage with his statements and comparisons. He repeatedly claims that there are neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian government. Most recently, Lavrov’s comparison with Hitler in connection with the Ukraine war had sparked outrage in Israel. The federal government also distanced itself afterwards. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit called Lavrov’s statement “absurd”. He said in Berlin: “I think the Russian propaganda that is being carried out by Foreign Minister Lavrov in this case does not need to be commented on any further.”
