Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharov said the aim of the "special operation" in Ukraine is not to destroy the country's statehood or overthrow the president at a press conference on Thursday.

She said Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe on its own initiative and, as of March 16, does not consider itself connected with the legal acts of the organization.

Zakharov also demanded that Ukraine and the U.S. disclose all information about the military biological activities of laboratories on Ukrainian soil. Both Kyiv and Washington have denied the existence of such laboratories.

Touching on the ongoing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Zakharov said they are evidence of progress.

"The fact that negotiations are underway is an indicator of progress," she said but warned that weapons from the U.S. to Ukraine will become a destabilizing factor and may have dangerous consequences.