Congratulating Russia on its national day is inappropriate, Ukraine's FM says
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Several countries publicly congratulated Russia on its national day today, June 12. Such gestures toward an aggressor are unacceptable, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said ahead of the Weimar Plus meeting.
"As the foreign minister of a country at war, it was especially painful for me this morning to see public congratulations from some countries addressed to the Russian aggressor on its national holiday," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha. "There can be no reward for aggression. There can be no reward for an aggressor state."
Sybiha added that he has full moral authority to express his discontent. Just two days ago, he visited Kherson — only 13 kilometers from the front line — together with his Lithuanian counterpart, Kęstutis Budrys.
"Together with my Lithuanian colleague, I saw with my own eyes what Russian terror looks like. This is Russia's response to all peace proposals — escalation, intensified terror, and an attempt to intimidate us," he emphasized.
US greetings
On June 12, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a message marking Russia Day. In his statement, he spoke about the United States' continued support for the Russian people.
