Moscow - Saba:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed on Friday that restoring the rights of Russian-speaking residents in Ukraine is Russia's condition for reaching a long-term settlement to the Ukrainian conflict.
In a speech marking Russian Language Day, published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, Lavrov said: "Ukrainian nationalists are working to eradicate everything associated with Russia. The Kyiv regime particularly hates the Russian language, and a widespread ban has been imposed on its use."
He added: "Russia will not leave Russians and Russian speakers in this predicament and will certainly ensure the restoration of their legal rights, including their right to fully speak their mother tongue."
The Russian Foreign Minister continued: "We will continue to discuss this acute problem in international forums, and we will insist that its resolution be a prerequisite for a long-term peaceful settlement to the conflict in Ukraine."
On Thursday, the eve of Russian Language Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a videoconference meeting of the Presidential Council of Russia, which is responsible for implementing the general policy to support the Russian language and the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation.
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