Russia issues statement following Netanyahu's rejection of ceasefire

Zakharova made remarks regarding current issues during her weekly press conference in the capital, Moscow.

Responding to the question, "How might the tension between the US and Iran affect the situation in the Gaza Strip?", Zakharova assessed, "Any additional tension that arises in the region will further worsen the already dire situation in the Gaza Strip."

Zakharova spoke as follows:

"As we have stated before, for the situation to improve, a ceasefire must be achieved, humanitarian aid organizations must be allowed to begin full-scale operations without any conditions, and a political process must be initiated to resolve the issue of establishing two states within the framework of international law. Any tension will first worsen the situation for civilians, and then for the states and peoples in the region."

Evaluating the statement by Israeli main opposition leader Yair Lapid that "they will not forgive Russia for a long time for its support of the Hamas leadership," Zakharova said, "Will Lapid and those who make statements like him also not forgive their American allies for the support they have given to Hamas? Will they also not forgive our initiatives regarding the release of hostages who were left in terrible conditions in October 2023? These statements are only useful to those who want to cause a rift between our countries."

Evaluating French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that "France has the responsibility to place its nuclear potential at the disposal of the European Union (EU)," Zakharova emphasized that "the issue of nuclear weapons is sensitive and therefore one must be careful in choosing words when making statements on this subject."

Zakharova said the following:

"Who exactly will Macron protect EU members from using nuclear weapons? That is a good question. If our country is meant as the potential aggressor, this needs to be formulated. If this is the case, then we are again talking about the threat to the EU and NATO from a Russia that lives in the sick fantasies of Western politicians. Therefore, Macron's suspicious rhetoric leads to an increase in insecurity and the potential for conflict on the European continent."

REACTION TO ARMENIA

Addressing Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement that "for some reasons, Russia cannot be a key partner for Armenia in the defense and military-technical fields," Zakharova emphasized that Russia and Armenia are allies.

Zakharova said, "The interests of the Armenian people are not independent of good neighborly relations with Russia. We hope that the Armenian administration will take this into account and make the right choice within the framework of current geopolitical transformations."

Pointing out that agreements have been made between Russia and Armenia in the fields of security and military technology, Zakharova said that interaction within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) serves Armenia's interests.

"WE WILL RESPOND"

Stating that NATO plans to hold a military exercise called "Nordic Response" between March 3-14, Zakharova drew attention to the fact that the exercise in question will be held in a region close to Russian borders.

Zakharova said, "Russia will not leave NATO's increase of its military potential on its borders unanswered and will take sufficient defense measures against threats to its national security."

Evaluating Sweden's decision to close the investigation into the gas leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines belonging to Russia in the Baltic Sea, Zakharova said, "Sweden is afraid of revealing the truth about what happened to the pipelines, while Russia is conducting its own investigation process into the incident and does not plan to hide the results."

News Source: AA