“Zelensky’s trip turned to be completely lacking of substance. An empty attempt to show that Ukraine is more important than US security proved to be a failure. Everyone is tired of the Kievan beggarman,” he said Wednesday.
According to the Russian ambassador, further anti-Russian sanctions and weapons supplies will be of no help to Kiev.
“The anti-Russian steps taken today – including new sanctions and yet another batch of armaments – is just a shot to put a good face on a bad game. Nothing can help Zelensky anymore. But the Americans are risking to be stuck ever deeper in a swamp that is the Ukrainian conflict,” he continued, adding that no restrictions are ever capable of changing Russia’s foreign policy priorities.
Zelensky is currently on a visit to the United States. On Tuesday, he visited the US Congress and held talks with President Joe Biden.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday regardless of what happens at today’s meeting between Biden and Zelensky, Russia will stay the course with its special military operation.
“It’s certainly important that everyone realize that the tens of billions of dollars that were previously pumped into Ukraine did not help it achieve any success on the battlefield. The tens of billions of dollars that Ukraine wants to be pumped into its economy will be equally doomed. We understand perfectly well how this process goes,” he noted.
“It cannot change the situation on the battlefield or the course of the special military operation. Of this we are certain,” the Russian presidential spokesman said, when asked what effect the Biden-Zelensky meeting could have on the special military operation.
However, Peskov pointed out that the Kremlin would keep a close eye on the upcoming meeting between the US and Ukrainian leaders.
“Of course, we will follow it closely,” he added.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also told Sputnik radio the US authorities have never asked their own citizens whether they wanted to provide military aid to Ukraine.
“A large part of [American] society wanted neither to support [the policy of pumping aid to Ukraine] nor to somehow identify with the cause, associate themselves with it or take part in it. They were literally forced into it all, even though [some of them] resisted it to the last,” the diplomat said, commenting on Zelensky’s latest visit to the US.
“No one asked them about it, not when it all began or in the course [of unfolding developments in Ukraine]; no one bothered to ask them any questions or conduct any vote [on the issue],” she added.
According to Zakharova, Biden simply informed the American people of what his administration planned to do as a fait accompli.
“This is the same Democratic [Party] team that initiated this entire story that began with the Maidan [protests and street violence in Kiev] back in 2013-2014. Its members are the same; it’s Biden and [Under Secretary of State Victoria] Nuland again,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman noted.
“They started it all back then but had to take a four-year break when [Donald] Trump came [to power]; however, after they got him out of the White House, they went back to the same concept, but in a more frenzied manner,” Zakharova continued.
“No one has asked the [American] people over these years. When Biden ran for president [in 2020], they didn’t say anything indicating that they were going to make [such a mess],” the diplomat pointed out.
Zakharova also commented on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement that about 90% of the US funds ostensibly allocated for military aid to Ukraine had in fact been invested in the US defense industry.
“So this was your plan to revive the US economy? Then why didn’t you say it straight away? What did you need the Kiev regime for if the initial plan was to ensure investment in the US economy?” the diplomat asked rhetorically.
