Ukraine's Envoy to Kazakhstan Apologizes for 'Kill as Many Russians as Possible' Remarks - Ministry

NUR-SULTAN (Sputnik) - Ukrainian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Petro Vrublevsky, who had been summoned to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, apologized for his remarks about Russians, the Foreign Ministry's spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said on Monday.

In August, a video was published on social media, featuring a man, who is believed to be the Ukrainian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, saying that Kiev is trying to kill as many Russians as possible. The ambassador was summoned to the ministry where he was notified about Kazakhstan's protest in connection with his statements, according to the ministry.

"As you know, we summoned the Ukrainian Ambassador, he apologized and stated it had been said against the background of heightened emotional state," Smadiyarov said, adding that Vrublevsky is now on vacation.

In late August, the Association of Russian, Slavic and Cossack Organizations of Kazakhstan (ARSK) urged the Kazakh foreign ministry to declare Vrublevsky persona non grata. The association also asked the Kazakh prosecutor's office to verify the fact of the distribution of Vrublevsky's statement on social media and bring to justice all those involved in the production and publication of the video.

On February 24, Russia began the military operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The West responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Moscow while also ramping up military support for Kiev. Moreover, Western governments and media launched a disinformation campaign regarding the hostilities in Ukraine and started disseminating Russophobic sentiments in the society, Moscow warned.