LAST UPDATE: 14.00
Russia will achieve its goal of securing a neutral status for Ukraine and would prefer to do so through talks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
Moscow’s goals do not include the overthrow of the Kiev government and “we hope to make more significant progress in the next round of talks with Ukraine,” Zakharova told reporters.
At the same time, he added that the Russian military operation is proceeding strictly according to plan.
He further added that Russia had never threatened NATO and was not threatening the Western military alliance, but added that its country was called upon to respond to the North Atlantic Alliance’s “conflict course”.
The increase in NATO military forces on its eastern side, following the Russian “military operation” in Ukraine, “was provocative”, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stressed and “does not contribute to maintaining security in Europe”.
Ms. Zakharova also noted that the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian forces, is operating normally.
US to Explain Military Biological Programs
Moscow is demanding an explanation from the United States for “the support it has provided to a military biological program in Ukraine,” said a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“We confirm the facts, which were revealed in the context of special military operations, which testify to an attempt to eliminate evidence of military biological programs,” Zakharova said.
“We are not talking about peaceful uses or scientific goals,” he said. “These (programs) were funded by the US Department of Defense.”
“The US Department of Defense and the White House are obliged to give explanations to the world community formally, and not through speakers, about the programs in Ukraine,” he said.
In response to previous Russian allegations about the alleged military biological program in Ukraine, a Pentagon spokesman said on Tuesday: “This absurd Russian misinformation is obviously false.”
A spokesman for the Ukrainian presidency stressed that “Ukraine categorically denies any such allegations.”
Source: Capital

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