Zakharova describes Blinken’s remarks about the detention of  over one million Ukrainian citizens in Russia as false

MOSCOW, Jul.14, (ST)- The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the accusations of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken about the detention of more than one million Ukrainian citizens in Russia as false.

“It is difficult to imagine how anyone can be forced to hold another nationality and obtain a passport from a second country,” Zakharova said in a television interview, according to RIA Novosti.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had previously claimed that Russia forcibly detains up to 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens on its territory and that the Russian authorities confiscate their documents and force them to hold Russian passports.

In another development, Russia is formulating its position on the European Commission’s guidance regarding transit to the Kaliningrad Region presented on Wednesday, Zakharova said.

“They published a decision yesterday, I mean, the European Commission, or, rather, not even a decision but guidance. It lifts restrictions on a certain range of products, goods that are transported [to the Kaliningrad Region] via rail. Actually, we commented on this yesterday, and we still think that this is a display of realism and common sense. We are shaping a position,” she told the Soloviev Live TV channel on Thursday.

The diplomat specified that not only the Foreign Ministry but other agencies as well were dealing with this issue because “this is about the situation in the region, [which is] a federal entity,” and, if needed, a response will be formulated and presented from all the agencies.

“It seems to me that they realized that the situation had already come to a dead end, and it is very dangerous and explosive,” the spokeswoman said.

Compiled by: Basma Qaddour