Explaining complex things in simple words: Attempted assassination of Robert Fico, Kerch bridge fate, Protests in Georgia

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF ROBERT FICO

On May 15, an attempt was made on the life of the Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. The assailant Juraj Cintula was arrested at the scene of the crime.

• Ukraine strongly condemns the act of violence against the leader of a neighbouring partner state. Ukraine stands in solidarity with the people of Slovakia.
• We wish Robert Fico a speedy recovery from his injury and return to his duties as the head of government.
• The public political position of the Slovak Prime Minister regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war is not a reason to justify the crime of a fanatical terrorist.
• Slovakia is a democratic country in which legal mechanisms of power rotation through elections work. And that's why terror cannot be a way to bring about political change.
• We call on the Kremlin's propaganda mouthpieces to stop cynical speculations about tragedies as well as repeated attempts to tie Ukraine to all world problems.

KERCH BRIDGE FATE

6 years ago, on May 15, 2018, the Kerch Bridge between the territory of the Russian Federation and the temporarily occupied Crimea was opened.

• Kerch Bridge is primarily a propaganda symbol of the Putin regime. This is an illogical alternative to the natural land connection of Crimea with mainland Ukraine through the isthmus.
• Huge funds were spent on its construction, which were not received by the Russian Federation regions, which chronically suffer from the degradation of their own infrastructure facilities.
• Kerch Bridge is a potentially dangerous object, built ignoring the seismic situation in the water area of the strait. It creates an additional ecological burden on the environment and complicates navigation between the Black and Azov seas.
• Kerch Bridge is an illegally built structure on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. Kyiv officially and in advance warns that this object will be dismantled at the first appropriate opportunity.
• Kerch Bridge is a legitimate military target used by the enemy to provide logistics for aggression. The Defence Forces of Ukraine have the means to destroy an object at such a distance.

PROTESTS IN GEORGIA

The Parliament of Georgia adopted in the final reading the draft law "On the transparency of foreign influence", known as the "law on foreign agents"

• Ukraine respects the sovereignty of Georgia, recognizes its territorial integrity, and seeks to see the country as a partner on the way to European integration.
• We share the concerns of democratic states and international institutions regarding the fact that the adopted draft law is an analogue of a similar law in Russia, which Moscow used to suppress dissent.
• The implementation of this law will clearly harm Georgia's desire to join the European Union, as the EU directly warns.
• We call on parliamentarians to listen to the voice of society, which has been protesting for more than a month, there is the most massive protest since Georgia's independence.
• We are concerned about cases of police violence against peaceful protesters. This can only lead to the radicalization of the confrontation, which Moscow will certainly take advantage of to the detriment of Georgia's security and national interests.

Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security