Ukraine Hinders the Peace Process, Russian FSB Director Says

On Friday, Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), accused Ukraine of obstructing all peace initiatives due to pressure from the West.

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He said that Ukraine is incapable of achieving its goal of inflicting a military defeat on Moscow and reclaiming territories with populations of Russian origin, which were incorporated into Russia by popular vote. For this reason, the Ukrainian forces are carrying out systematic bombardments against Russian civilians and infrastructure.

Bortnikov claimed that Ukrainian military intelligence was directly involved in the terrorist attack perpetrated on March 22 at the Crocus City Hall concert venue, where 145 people died. During the investigations, more than 20 people have been detained.

The preparation and execution of the attack, as well as the extremists' escape to Ukraine, were coordinated via the Internet by members of the Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan known as 'ISIS-Khorasan.'

"All the circumstances of the crime will be clarified, and none of those responsible will escape punishment," the FSB chief said, affirming that Russian authorities are continuing to investigate the facts.

Bortnikov warned that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is using the full arsenal of hybrid warfare to maintain the U.S. hegemony. As part of this process, NATO member countries continue to exert economic, political, and military pressure on the nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Other methods to destabilize the economy of CIS countries include propagating ultra nationalist movements, extending terrorist networks in the Afghan-Pakistani region, conducting intelligence operations, and controlling non-governmental organizations.

The special military operation's main objetive is to protect the population of Donbas from the genocide that Ukraine began to implement in 2014 and to halt NATO's eastward expansion due to the existential threat it poses to the Russian nation, Bortnikov recalled.

On several occasions, Russia has affirmed its willingness to end the operation if its counterpart considers the new territorial reality and meets security guarantees.

In this regard, a few days ago, President Vladimir Putin stated that Russian troops do not plan to take the city of Kharkiv but intend to create a security belt due to Ukrainian bombardments against the Russian city of Belgorod.

"Russia is accused of not wanting to participate in negotiations, but we are not being invited either," he said, denouncing the hypocritical nature of the so-called Switzerland Peace Conference to be held on June 15 and 16.

The Russian leader considered that the goal of the event's organizers is to gather as many countries as possible, announce that the conditions for peace have been agreed upon, and present their decisions to Russia as "an ultimatum."