Zelenskyy on RIA Novosti article: One piece of evidence for a future tribunal
Kateryna Tyshchenko - Monday, 4 April 2022, 22:45
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that an article published on the website of Russia’s state-run "RIA Novosti" agency, which attempts to justify the genocide of Ukrainians, is one piece of evidence for a future tribunal.
Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an address to Romanian Parliament.
According to Zelenskyy: "On the same day, 3 April, when the world was horror-stricken to see the bodies of those killed in Bucha, an article justifying the genocide of Ukrainians was published on the website of the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Its title is quite eloquent: ‘What Russia must do to Ukraine.’ And this is not just a text. This is another piece of evidence for a future tribunal against Russian war criminals."
Details: The Ukrainian President noted that this article describes a "clear and calculated procedure for the destruction of everything that makes Ukrainians Ukrainian, and our people themselves - those who cannot be broken and subdued." The article also claims that Ukraine should be "de-Ukrainised" and "de-Europeanised".
"It [the article -ed.] says that even the name of our state should be erased. In fact, it is said that the death of as many of our people in the war is encouraged," Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that only text corresponding to the official ideological position can be published on the website of the Russian state news agency under open state censorship.
"I want you to understand me: they are not even hiding. They are being frank about the purpose of the invasion of Ukraine. If our army had not withstood, if our people had not risen to defend our state, they would have done what they did in Bucha, but over the entire territory of Ukraine," the President explained.
Background: The main pro-Kremlin propaganda site "RIA Novosti" published an article about what the Russians want to do to Ukraine. Among other things, the aggressors want to "re-educate" the Ukrainian people, as well as to impose strict censorship in politics, culture and education.
The author of this article is Timofei Sergeitsev, who is known to be the author of a poster about three "sorts" of Ukrainians.
Senior Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podoliak claimed that this article is an official acknowledgement of the Russian Federation's calls for the mass murder of Ukrainians and falls under the jurisdiction of international courts.
