Ukrainian President Poroshenko responds to Putin's sharp warning
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko rejected the accusations of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, stressing that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity are under threat.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
According to UNIAN, Mr. Poroshenko denied Russian President Putin's accusation that he intentionally caused the Kerch Strait crisis because of his declining credibility and to postpone the presidential election.
“There is no evidence that I created the crisis to influence the electoral process. This is not a question of credibility. At the moment, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are under threat. The only way out of this situation is for Putin to leave Ukraine alone,” Poroshenko said in an interview with Italian media.
The Ukrainian leader stressed that Kiev has been a victim of Russian aggression for a long time. “The Russians have sent a mass of tanks and troops to the Ukrainian border. We demand that they abide by the Minsk agreements and ensure a permanent ceasefire. The UN should send troops to the disputed area. Release Ukrainian prisoners of war.”
“For the first time since 2014, Russia openly captured Ukrainian soldiers on occupied Ukrainian territory with the aim of annexing the entire territory of Ukraine and destroying the country,” Poroshenko said. According to the Ukrainian leader, Putin is posing a clear threat to NATO’s eastern border.
Earlier, Mr Putin strongly warned that "war will continue" in Ukraine until President Petro Poroshenko and his government leave because they do not have the confidence of the people.
"The current government of Ukraine has divided the country into two parts - one that can be trusted and one that cannot. They are a party of war and as long as they remain in power, all the tragedies and wars will continue," Mr. Putin stressed.
