‘We Are Bears, Not Paper Bears’: Russia’s Strong Message from Colombo

COLOMBO (News 1st); Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Levan S. Dzhagaryan accused Western nations of breaking promises, calling them “big liars,” and defended Moscow’s decision to launch what it terms a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Speaking on Russia’s stance, Ambassador Dzhagaryan said: “Our main mistake was trusting Western countries and their leaders. They don’t keep their promises. So we had to start our special military operation.”

He reiterated Russia’s non-negotiable demands, including:

- Ukraine must never join NATO and remain a neutral state.
- Recognition of four regions—Kherson, Zaporozhye, Lugansk, and Donetsk—along with Crimea as part of Russia.
- Lifting of all sanctions imposed on Moscow.

The Ambassador also revealed optimism about recent diplomatic engagements under the Trump administration, citing meetings between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. officials, including Marco Rubio, and a high-profile summit in Alaska between President Putin and President Trump.

“They are more constructive now, ready to listen to our concerns—unlike the previous administration,” he said.

However, Dzhagaryan noted that President Trump’s remark calling Russia a “paper tiger” drew a sharp response:

“We are not a tiger. We are bears—not paper bears. We are bears.”