Federation Council Chief Says Moscow Doesn't Want War But Would Defend Russians In Donbas

Russian news wires circulate snips from a Parliamentskaya Gazeta interview with Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko.

• Matviyenko says that Russia does not want war and "will do everything to ensure that there is no war with Ukraine," sticking to the Kremlin's assurances that diplomatic means of defusing the crisis have not been exhausted. She notes that "there are no objective grounds for accusing Russia of aggressive intentions" and calls such accusations "pure speculation."
• Federal Council Chairwoman notes that the Ukrainian nation "made their choice" and "it is up to them and them only to decide what to do, how to live, which parties, politicians to entrust the fate of the country." Nonetheless, any further development of Ukraine depends on the unconditional implementation of Minsk agreements.
• She paints measures taken by Russia as essentially defensive, in light of an alleged Western plot to destabilise regions on Russian borders, which includes supplying weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.
• Matviyenko warns that Russia stands ready to protect its citizens in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, should Ukrainian troops launch an attack. Moscow's response to any military escalation in the area "will be commensurate with the scale of the aggression."
• Worth noting that the summaries circulated by TASS and RIA Novosti differ in tone. While the former leads with Matviyenko's conciliatory remarks, the latter emphasises Russia's commitment to protect its citizens in the Donbas.