Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has condemned the continuing hysteria around an allegedly "imminent" Russian invasion of Ukraine pushed by UK government officials and media. She suggested that part of the reason why London continues to peddle this claim is because Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet is facing problems at home.
"We call on Western countries to stop whipping up anti-Russian hysteria, which has actually already become anti-Ukrainian; we call on them to stop pumping weapons to Kiev. These actions have a negative impact on both the settlement of the conflict in Donbass and the overall situation in the field of security and stability in Europe", Zakharova said.
The spokeswoman further urged Western media and politicians to stop spreading falsehoods about an "imminent" invasion and the alleged dates of it, as it gravely affects people’s psychological and moral state, first and foremost among Ukrainians.
Zakharova also called on UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to apologise for her claims of an "imminent" Russian invasion after it failed to materialise on 16 February – to the great disappointment of Western media, which claimed that this was supposed to be the day of the attack.
"All this hysteria allows [the West] to distract everyone from the fact that Kiev fails to fulfil [the Minsk agreements...]. It also solves the domestic political problems that the team of [UK] Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces right now", Zakharova said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman pointed out that the unfolding scandal over the attendance of private parties by members of Johnson's Cabinet during coronavirus restrictions could cost the prime minister his post. Zakharova suggested that by whipping up hysteria around Ukraine, London is trying to find an "external force" to shift the focus from the domestic scandal.
UK Media Go Full Nostradamus in Predicting Time of Russian Invasion (Only to Fail Miserably)
Zakharova went on to slam British tabloids The Sun, Mirror, as well as American Fox News, for lying to their audience about a Russian invasion and its alleged time and date.
The first claims about a Russian invasion taking place on 16 February began to emerge in the US media last week. Their claims were partially supported by American politicians claiming that the attack might happen any day, despite the same politicians admitting that they had no way of knowing the exact date.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chuckled at the reports, according to his spokesman, who said that the president jokingly wondered if the media also mentioned the specific hour when the "invasion" would start. Two UK tabloids were quick to satisfy Putin's request, claiming on 15 February that the Russian attack would start at 1:00 am GMT on 16 February, citing US intelligence.
No attack occurred and no attack will ever take place, as the Kremlin has repeatedly assured over the past few months. Moscow has slammed allegations that it is planning an invasion, which the West has been pedalling since November 2021, citing Russian troops allegedly being amassed at the border. The latter were moved westward to take part in scheduled military drills and will be returning to their bases of deployment soon after they are over.