•Moscow challenges EU foreign policy chief’s assertion that Russian civilians are not being killed, citing Ukrainian military attacks.
Russia has strongly criticized European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas over her claim that Russian civilians “are not dying” in the Ukraine conflict.
Moscow’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, dismissed her statement as “immoral” and accused the EU official of ignoring Ukrainian military attacks that have claimed hundreds of civilian lives.
Nebenzia pointed to official data from 2024, stating that Ukrainian forces had killed 809 Russian civilians, including 51 children.
He condemned Kallas’ remarks as “fantasies” and suggested that her position reflected a deliberate attempt to downplay violence against Russian citizens.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February, Kallas attempted to contrast the impact of the war on the two countries.
“The difference is that Russian civilians are not dying. I mean Russian children and women are not dying, it’s soldiers on the ground,” she claimed.
Her remarks implied that civilian suffering in the conflict was primarily one-sided, with Ukraine bearing the brunt of Russian military actions.
Moscow, however, argues that Ukrainian attacks on Russian border regions and areas under its control have led to numerous civilian casualties.
Nebenzia characterized these killings as “real crimes,” in contrast to what he called the “theatrical performance like Bucha,” referring to the controversial 2022 incident in which Ukraine accused Russian forces of massacring civilians.
Russia has maintained that the Bucha killings were staged to generate Western support for Kiev and derail peace negotiations.
The backlash against Kallas’ remarks extended beyond Russia’s UN mission. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned her comments, calling them evidence of the “degradation” of EU leadership.
“How can one seriously negotiate with people who have declared lies as their official position?” she asked, arguing that Kallas’ statement reflected deep-seated bias against Russia.
Kallas, a vocal critic of Moscow, took on her current role as the EU’s chief diplomat in December 2024 after resigning as Estonia’s prime minister under domestic political pressure.
She has consistently pushed for stronger measures against Russia, including tighter sanctions and increased military support for Ukraine.
The diplomatic clash underscores the growing divide between Russia and the EU over the war in Ukraine, with each side accusing the other of spreading misinformation.
As the conflict continues, claims and counterclaims over civilian casualties remain a contentious issue, shaping international narratives and influencing policy decisions.
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