During negotiations with the Russian delegation in Istanbul, shocking words were heard about the war, which is supposedly only an internal conflict between "Russians." Ukrainian representatives heard from their opponents a direct denial of the Ukrainian nation.
Points of attention
- The shocking comments made by the head of the Russian delegation have been viewed as an attempt to delegitimize Ukraine and portray the conflict as an internal Russian matter.
- The incident highlights the ongoing tensions and lack of acknowledgment of Ukraine's national identity by the Russian Federation, further complicating diplomatic relations.
Russia denied the existence of Ukrainians — Kyslytsia
This was stated by First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia during a telethon.
As Kyslytsia said, during the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, a shocking statement was made by the Russian side. The head of the Russian delegation allegedly called the war an "internal conflict," saying that it was, in essence, "when Russians kill Russians with certain nuances."
At some point, the head of the Russian delegation says... In front of him sits a Ukrainian plenipotentiary delegation representing the state, consisting of military personnel. And the head of the Russian delegation says: "A war is essentially when Russians kill Russians. With certain nuances." End of quote.
Serhiy Kyslytsia
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Such words, as Kyslytsia noted, are perceived as a denial of the existence of Ukraine as an independent nation. Representatives of the Russian delegation effectively stated that Ukrainians do not exist separately, but only "Russians."
In essence, that side denies you your existence as a nation. They tell you to your face that you are not Ukrainian, you are Russian, and we are simply killing you, Russians are killing Russians and "it hurts us that we Russians are killing Russians."
