Foreign Minister Klimkin declared that Ukraine does not need diplomatic relations with Russia.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin said there is no need for diplomatic relations with Russia, but Kiev is not ready to cut them off because it still has to protect its citizens.
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| Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin. Photo: AP |
"We do not need relations with Russia, and we do not have such relations, but we still need to find a way to help and take care of about 2.5 million Ukrainians who are still in the Russian Federation and do all the work that our consuls are doing," Klimkin said at the Rada in response to a question about whether Kiev was ready to sever diplomatic ties with Russia.
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation were established in 1992. Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that it did not support the idea of severing diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation, as this could adversely affect the Ukrainian people.
On November 25, three Ukrainian Navy ships Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yana Kapa, in violation of Articles 19 and 21 of the UN Convention, illegally crossed the Russian maritime border. These ships did not comply with the legitimate requests of the Russian authorities.
Russia decided to use weapons. All three ships were captured about 20 km off the Russian coast.
In the incident, three Ukrainian soldiers were slightly injured. They received medical care, their lives are not in danger. Russia has opened a criminal case for violating the state border.
