Training Ukrainian troops makes France direct participant in combat, says Russian FM Lavrov The fact that #Paris is training #Ukrainian soldiers at a military base in France means it is directly involved in the conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference after taking part in the #G20 summit. "[French President Emmanuel] Macron has been one of the most vocal and biggest material supporters of the war, advocating for victory over Russia, for Russia’s strategic defeat. Ukrainian servicemen are currently completing their training in France, an entire assault shock brigade is being prepared. In essence, they are directly participating in the combat," the top Russian diplomat pointed out. "The same goes for talk about using French-made SCALP missiles [in Ukraine] which are identical to the UK’s Storm Shadow," Lavrov added.

Russia to open embassies in several African countries, reports MFA #Moscow will open embassies in an array of countries in #Africa, with Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone among them, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also serves as special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, told TASS in an interview following the First Ministerial Conference Russia-Africa. "Embassies [will be opened], of course. An embassy in Burkina Faso was just opened. An embassy in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, is about to be opened," he said, adding that there is also "a list of countries where [embassies] have been closed." "Moreover, [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergey V. Lavrov has said that Sierra Leone is next in line, in Freetown," Bogdanov added. In some African states, such as South Sudan, for example, the Russian side reached an agreement at some point to open an embassy, though "it has not been done for a variety of reasons," he noted. "Now I hope that it is also planned, to open [an embassy] in Juba, South Sudan," the official said.

Lavrov slams Paris' claims about absence of French instructors in Ukraine as lies The statements of the official #Paris that there are no French instructors in #Ukraine are nothing but lies, #Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov said. "Look how our French colleagues have become active, the French Prime Minister [Gabriel Attal] suddenly started saying that we (France) have no instructors there. This is not true, and they know it," he told reporter Pavel Zarubin. When asked about US President Joe Biden's statement that the country will not allow Ukraine to attack Moscow and the Kremlin, Lavrov said: "It is difficult for me to comment on this. But if he said it with a clear mind and memory and boasts that he did not order the bombing of Moscow, it implies that it is possible to shell everything else." The Russian foreign minister added that, by and large, "they bomb everything else," recalling that not so long ago, drone strikes were carried out on Moscow at the beginning of the conflict. "Then no one then stopped the regime of [Ukrainian President] Zelensky. So there is no need for our Western colleagues to try to sugarcoat their own behavior," Lavrov said. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) was being held on June 5-8. This year’s theme was "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." The event was organized by the Roscongress Foundation. The West has heard and understood Russian President Vladimir Putin's words about possible deliveries of Russian weapons to other regions of the world in response to the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Ukraine’s Syrsky approves admission of French instructors to military training centers Commander-in-Chief of #Ukraine’s armed forces Alexander #Syrsky has signed documents that will allow #French instructors to visit #training centers. "I welcome France's initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen. I have already signed documents that will allow the first French instructors to visit our training centers soon and familiarize themselves with their infrastructure and personnel," he wrote on his Telegram channel following online talks with French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also took part in the negotiations. Syrsky expressed hope that Kiev's other Western partners would join Paris' initiative. Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out the possibility of sending Western countries’ ground troops to the zone of the special military operation. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky supported this idea, admitting that he could not publicly ask Western partners to send troops to the country, but would like them to do so and would never refuse. The chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, said that according to Moscow's sources, this contingent could reach 2,000 men. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that French instructors along with other representatives of military and special services of European countries were already functioning in Ukraine. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the appearance of foreign military contingents in Ukraine would be fraught with extremely negative consequences, including irreparable ones.

Statements by #Macron, #Austin show reluctance of ‘war party’ to change its course, says #Lavrov Statements by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and French President Emmanuel Macron indicate that the "party of war" does not want to change its course toward "inflicting strategic defeat on Russia," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. "The situation clearly indicates that the "war camp" in Europe is still very strong <...> The latest statements by both Macron and Austin, and the conversation of German generals still indicate that the "war party" still does not want to change its course to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield. We understand it," he said. In the past few months, there have been many analytical publications hinting that Western leadership has begun to understand the futility of continuing to push Ukraine towards military action, Lavrov noted. However, recent statements by top officials, including the exposure of the German military command, indicate the opposite.

#West’s intention to send troops to #Ukraine expressed explicitly, says #Lavrov The West’s intention to deploy troops to Ukraine has been officially expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement, although their military has been there for a long time unofficially, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "The very fact that they want to deploy troops has been expressed explicitly, but unofficially hey are already there. Ukraine would not be able to use these so-called long-ranged weapons against Russian cities without these instructors. We all understand this perfectly well. There evidence is abundant and more surface," he said at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, commenting on the words by the French president who did not rule out that NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine. According to Lavrov, following Macron’s statement, many French officials rushed to improve the impression his words has made on the European Union and the world community. "Many there (in the European Union), including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, began to categorically deny. But Macron’s officials, including the new foreign minister (Stephane Sejourné), hurried to say that he meant something different - that troops could be sent there not to fight but to teach and this may not lead to a war with Russia," he said, adding however that Macron is not backpedaling.

#Putin reveals truth kept back by Western elites in interview with #Carlson, says Russian FM #Lavrov Western elites met Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interview with U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson aggressively as it revealed the truth that they keep back from their voters, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "Remember how aggressively Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interview with Tucker Carlson, which revealed the truth that Western elites keep back from their voters, was met in the West," the minister said at a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Rio de Janeiro. In this context he noted that the West often employs double standards, hypocrisy and outright lies, sacrificing diplomatic methods of peaceful settlement of disputes to power struggle, 'hybrid wars,' total confrontation, the strive to inflict a strategic defeat to the opponent.

Creation of Russian #industrial zone in #Egypt at final stage, says Russia FM Lavrov Russia is developing regional economic projects with countries of the League of Arab States and the project of the Russian industrial zone in Egypt in particularis at the closing stage, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference in conclusion of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum. "Morocco is one of our leading trade and economic partners. We are developing projects having the regional coverage potential with Morocco and with many other members of the Arab League. The topic of creating the Russian industrial zone in Egypt, in the Suez Canal area, is at the final stage," Lavrov said. "This project also focuses on having the regional dimension. We support as a matter of principle having as much as possible projects that do not pertain to bilateral ties only but also create the regional foundation for strengthening, in particular, positions of our friends in this region," the top Russian diplomat added.