Vladimir Putin's ambassador to the UK has said that the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which was razed by Russian forces, is now “beautiful” and “rebuilt”.
In a wide-ranging interview with Yalda Hakim on Sky News, Andrei Kelin also said Moscow had “no interest in Poland, Latvia, Estonia or any other country” after that. NATO warned of future Russian invasions in Europe.
When asked about accusations of human rights violations in… Mariupol“Go to Mariupol, look at it now, it's a completely rebuilt city, and it's amazing how beautiful it is,” Kelin said.
“Not all the buildings have been restored at the moment, but a lot of effort has been made.”
He continued: “People are returning to Mariupol. It has become a beautiful city.”
In response to a question about why it was necessary to destroy the coastal city, he said: “[The Ukrainians] “They could have surrendered much earlier. They could have surrendered Mariupol much earlier instead of trying to make it a place to fight.”
Siege of Mariupol by President Putin The forces began shortly after the invasion began in February 2022 and ended in May of that year when Russia declared victory, and the last Ukrainian fighters defended Syria. Surrender of the Azovstal Steel Plant.
Regarding NATO claims about Russian plans to invade other countries in Europe, Mr. Kelin said: “There is no interest in Poland or any other country in the Baltic Sea, and we are fully aware that any escalation outside Ukraine will lead to a global conflict with the destruction of everything.” . “We cannot support this.”
The comments come almost two years after Russian forces entered Ukraine, although Putin said he had no plans to invade the neighboring country.
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Removal of rubble from the site of the destroyed theater in 2022. Image: AP
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Kelin said: “It was a grave mistake on the part of Western leaders to believe that Ukraine could win with the West’s help with money and weapons. Russia cannot be defeated at all.”
He continued: “Compared to Ukraine, our political situation is stable, our economy is developing very quickly, and our resources are enormous.”
Kelin also described the withdrawal of Russian tanks from Kiev in the first months of the war as a “goodwill gesture” rather than a defeat, adding that the goal was to “expand the scope of Ukrainian forces” so that Moscow could achieve its goals through “political means.” means, not military means.”
In response to a question about a report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, he says: Russia lost more than 3,000 battles In its war against Ukraine, Kelin insisted that Moscow had “sufficient capacity” for its war efforts.
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Mariupol: Russia's new model city
The ambassador was also asked about the Russian reports Receiving ballistic missiles and artillery from North Korea – an arrangement that would violate UN sanctions that Moscow itself supported.
Killeen insisted there was “no evidence” of such an arrangement with… Kim Jong Un regime.
These statements come after Putin sent Kim a letter of thanks for his support for what the Russian president calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Kelin told Sky News that Russia was merely “establishing new cooperation” with North Korea.
Photo of damaged buildings in Mariupol in April 2022
The Ambassador was also asked whether he would prefer that Donald Trump To win the US presidential elections Joe Biden later this year — with Mr. Killeen refusing to back one candidate over the other.
But he praised Trump for talking about “the end of the war”, claiming that other leaders such as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were only talking about “continuing” the conflict by agreeing to provide support to Ukraine.
Trump claimed that he would be able to end the war within 24 hours if he entered the White House for a second time.
The former US president was also criticized by NATO After he said he would allow it Russia “They do whatever the hell they want” to coalition members who don't pay enough for defense.
NATO said that these statements put “American and European soldiers at increased risk.”
Asked whether Putin might be “tempted” to invade a NATO country after the presidential candidate's comments, Kylin said he thought Trump's comments were a “joke.”
:: Watch the full interview with Mr. Killeen on The world with Yalda Hakim On Sky News starting at 9pm.
