Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin claimed that Latvia and other Baltic states previously provided an air corridor for Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that attacked civilian infrastructure in Russia.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Galuzin said, "We have verified data that Latvia and other Baltic republics previously provided air corridors for Ukrainian UAVs that attacked our country's civilian infrastructure."
Referring to Latvia's plans to build a drone factory on the border, Galuzin said the move was in line with the Baltic states' hostile stance toward Russia. "Under conditions where the Russian army is effectively destroying Ukraine's military infrastructure, moving military production abroad makes a certain sense for the Kyiv regime," he said.
Galuzin also claimed that the Baltic states are pursuing "self-serving goals," aiming to secure a share of military budgets within the EU's militarization and to gain geopolitical importance as a key element of NATO's eastern flank.
Conditions for negotiations
The Russian diplomat stressed that they are ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine from where they left off, but that this requires political will not only from Kyiv but also from its Western sponsors, who are the main beneficiaries of the crisis.
Galuzin described as "absurd" a call by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on June 28, made through the media, for Russia to "sit down at the negotiating table." He recalled that the National Security and Defense Council decision approved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in October 2022, which bans any negotiations with the Russian leadership, is still in force.
"Kyiv has no independence"
Galuzin said, "Today, Kyiv has no independence in decision-making. It merely relays what its curators convey, and they are only thinking about freezing the conflict to buy time to strengthen and regroup the Ukrainian Armed Forces."
He added that Russia wants a solution that eliminates the root causes of the Ukraine crisis and brings lasting and sustainable peace to the region.
