Russia is also ensuring its own security while conducting military operation in Ukraine - Russian Federation Council speaker

DUSHANBE. Feb 24 (Interfax) - The Russian military operation in Ukraine will make the administration of this country negotiate, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said.

She also said she hopes the Ukrainian army will lay down its weapons.

"Maybe it will finally make the Ukrainian regime sit down at the negotiation table. It can't go on like this," Matviyenko told reporters during a visit to Tajikistan on Thursday.

"The military operation declared by the Russian president is aimed at ceasing fire, at stopping military action, and there is just no other way to do that except by conducting a special military operation," she said.

Otherwise "the next step would have been the acceptance of Ukraine in NATO and the move of NATO directly to the Russian borders," she said.

"By conducting such an operation we are ensuring our own security, too," she said.

"Of course, we are very concerned, to prevent civilian casualties," she said, adding that she hopes the Ukrainian troops will lay down their weapons.

Commenting on the address by Russian intellectuals, who spoke about the military operation, she said that "those who think that are wrong."

"Of course, one can think about some current problems, which will arise. But not thinking about the security of such a big country, such an important country on the international scene and not thinking that one day someone may encroach on the sovereignty of our country, on our oil and gas deposits and many other things, which we have heard many times, and, most importantly, that events may occur that will disrupt our peaceful life... These things need to be prevented, and that is exactly the reason why such a decision was made," she said.

A military operation is needed "to give our country a peaceful sky," Matviyenko said.

Russia is "a powerful, strong country, we will overcome all these things, we can do it, we will develop our economy more effectively, defend the people, ensure their social wellbeing," she said.