State Duma speaker calls on Ukrainians not to fear Russian operation aimed at demilitarizing their country

MANAGUA. Feb 25 (Interfax) - Ukrainian citizens should not be afraid of the Russian operation, as it is aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said.

"Ukrainian citizens shouldn't be afraid of the peacekeeping operation. It is solely aimed at demilitarization," Volodin said, speaking at a meeting of Nicaragua's National Assembly. He arrived in the Central American country on an official visit on February 24.

Volodin noted that the Russian president's decision to conduct a peacekeeping operation was taken in order to prevent a humanitarian disaster and a full-scale war.

"Ukraine must become a free, independent, democratic and peaceful nation once it is free from the anti-popular regime with a Nazi ideology, and begin developing in the interests of its own citizens," he said.

Volodin stressed that NATO cannot solve the problem of its members' security at the expense of the security of others. "It's time for the U.S. to stop," he said.

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