ST. PETERSBURG, April 24. /TASS/. Countries, including pro-Western states, which earlier said that Russia had allegedly committed aggression against Ukraine, have now changed their tune thanks to the facts made public by Moscow, and now recognize that Russia was forced to defend itself, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said.
He visited an exposition denouncing Ukrainian Nazism as part of an exhibition at the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues taking place in St. Petersburg. According to Patrushev, this exposition is very useful, and Russia’s arguments are "certainly being heard" abroad.
"And very many people who previously believed that Russia committed aggression [in Ukraine] have now changed their point of view. We have convinced them. And they now say, 'No, Russia defended itself, it had to defend itself, Russia did not attack,'" Patrushev told reporters.
"This is very important for us. These discussions, stories help us get them to take an objective stance," he stressed.
According to the top security official, these countries "understand perfectly well who is financing" the Kiev regime. "And even those countries that take a pro-Western stance, they also understand, only they say, 'Please, don't name us.'" <...> They are afraid that if sanctions are imposed on them, it will be hard for them. That's why they say, 'Don’t name us,'" he added.
The 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues is taking place in St. Petersburg on April 23-25. Delegations from 106 countries headed by Security Council Secretaries, national security advisers and counsellors, ministers and heads of special services have come to Russia to take part in the event. International organizations are also present, they are represented by eight secretaries general and top management. The Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia are participating in such a meeting for the first time.