Russian Embassy Voices Shock over Lebanese Statement Condemning Moscow

The Russian Embassy in Lebanon on Friday voiced astonishment over a Lebanese Foreign Ministry statement that condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The statement has astonished us for its violation of the dissociation policy (officially adopted by Lebanon) and for siding with one party against another in these events, knowing that Russia has spared no effort to contribute to the rise and stability of the Lebanese Republic,” the Embassy said in a communique.

“Russia has not waged a war but rather a special operation aimed at protecting Russian citizens, based on the request of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized their independence,” the Embassy added.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry had on Thursday condemned Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and called on Moscow to “immediately halt military operations.”

“In light of the military invasions that Lebanon’s modern history witnessed, which inflicted heavy losses on it and its people… Lebanon condemns the invasion of Ukrainian territory and calls on Russia to immediately halt military operations,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Lebanon calls on Moscow to “withdraw its forces and return to the approach of dialogue and negotiations, as the best means to resolve the current conflict, in a manner that would preserve the sovereignty, security and concerns of both parties and that would contribute to sparing the peoples of the two countries, the European continent and the world the tragedies and pain of wars,” the statement added.