Federation Council calls for clearly defining 'aggression' in context of statements regarding Russia
MOSCOW. Nov 9 (Interfax) - The Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Konstantin Kosachyov, has called for a clear definition of the notion of "foreign aggression" and an end to baseless allegations about the aggressive conduct of Russia.
"It is time we explicitly assessed the never-ending 'aggression' demagogy of those who have been involved in so many real rather than virtual acts of aggression over the past couple of decades alone, which are sufficient for a major trial by an international tribunal. Impunity leads to impudence, which is hypocritically covered up by the deliberations of the most powerful and aggressive state in the world on the 'deterrence' of other countries," Kosachyov wrote on his Facebook page, commenting on the United States' draft defense budget.
The countering of Russian aggression is a separate provision of the National Defense Authorization Act, which was approved by the armed services committees of both houses of the U.S. Congress, he wrote.
"The longer you live, the more you realize how beneficial this 'Russian aggression' thing could be. Nations consolidated to confront real aggressors in the past, but now all one has to do to make 'aggression' a part of the budget is 'picture' them [the aggressors] in government documents and the media," Kosachyov said. "This is what the Kyiv regime lives on; it would have been wiped out by the masses if not for heaven-sent 'aggression'," Kosachyov wrote.
"Gogol was right when he said, 'The higher truths are, the more cautious one must be with them; otherwise, they are converted into common things, and common things are not believed.' Such crucial international terms as 'aggression,' 'occupation,' 'annexation,' and others are being treated so impermissibly lightly. It is a 'vogue' to present oneself as a victim of such deeds condemned by default, which are ascribed to one's opponents in order to place them outside the limit of international law and even morality," Kosachyov said.
The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, approved by both houses of the U.S. Congress, assigns $4.6 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative.