Russia Not to Discuss Crimea’s Return to Ukraine with Foreign Partners

MOSCOW-Russia is not going to discuss the issue of Crimea’s return to Ukraine with foreign partners, including the US, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

“As for Crimea’s return, this issue will not be discussed as it cannot be discussed. Russia does not discuss its territorial issues with foreign partners,” Peskov said, commenting on the White House statement that US President Donald Trump made it clear he expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine.

Peskov also said that issue of Crimea’s status was not discussed during the phone conversation between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in late January.

 When asked if Trump raised the issue of the Crimean status during this contact, Peskov said: “No, he didn’t.”

Peskov gave no new comments on whether the Russian leader gave explanations on the situation in Ukraine during the conversation with the US president. “We (earlier in an official statement) said everything what we wanted to say on the outcome of the phone conversation that you mentioned,” Peskov told reporters.

The Kremlin’s press service earlier said that during their phone conversation on January 28, Putin and Trump showed determination to conduct an active joint effort on stabilizing and developing Russian-US cooperation. The sides discussed vital international issues and also major aspects of the Ukrainian crisis. The leaders agreed to establish partner-type cooperation in those and other areas. Putin and Trump placed a special emphasis on the fight against terrorism.

Zakharova: Russia does not return its territories

Russian Foreign Ministry spokewoman Maria Zakharova said commenting on the White House statement that US President Trump is expecting Moscow to return Crimea to Kiev, that Russia does not return its territories.

Russia does not intend to return Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in early 2014, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.

“We do not return our territories. Crimea is Russian territory,” Zakharova said at a weekly briefing, reaffirming Moscow’s longstanding position that the issue is permanently closed.

On February 14, the White House spokesman said that US President Donald Trump expects Russia to “return Crimea” to Ukraine.

“President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to deescalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a daily news briefing. “At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia.”

Russian Lawmaker: peninsula is an integral part of Russia

Following the claim that US President Trump is expecting Moscow to return Crimea to Kiev, a Russian lawmaker said that the peninsula is an integral part of Russia and cannot be “subject of bargaining” between Russia and the United States.

Crimea is and will always be part of Russia, the issue is not negotiable under any circumstances, Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the defense committee in the Russian upper house of parliament, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Source: Tass/Sputnik

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