Ukraine threatens to expel Russians from Crimea
(Baonghean.vn) - Senators and deputies of the Russian State Duma have criticized the statement of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Reznikov regarding the declarations of expelling Russians from the Crimean peninsula.
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| Crimean Peninsula. Photo: Ria Novosti |
Earlier, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Reznikov made a statement that, after returning Crimea to Ukraine, the Kiev government will expel all Russians from the peninsula.
The head of the State Duma's Committee on CIS Affairs and Eurasian Integration, Leonid Kalashnikov, advised the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister to focus on his career, and not on the fate of Crimea.
"Ukrainian citizens will at some point wake up and understand what is happening in their country, and will demand the removal of all such leaders," Leonid Kalashnikov said.
Mr. Kalashnikov also emphasized that the Crimean peninsula is an inseparable part of Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian State Duma Deputy Minister Mikhail Sheremet said it was necessary to punish Ukrainian politicians and even initiate a criminal case against Reznikov due to his involvement in the threat to the lives of Russian citizens.
The head of the working group on international legal issues of the Russian Permanent Mission to Crimea said that the statement of the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine has nothing to do with reality. As for the Ukrainian authorities, it seems that Moscow is witnessing a tough rhetoric: instead of discussing practical issues of bilateral relations, Kiev is trying to impose on Moscow difficult topics that are not related to the current situation.
The chairman of the Council of Slavic Nationalities of Crimea, Roman Chegrinets, called Kiev's position on the peninsula a manifestation of hysteria, as Ukraine cannot take back Crimea.
"Ukraine is trying to preserve the rest with illusory statements. However, in my opinion, such statements only aggravate the division in Ukrainian society and bring closer to the inevitable disintegration of Ukraine," Mr. Roman commented.
The Russian government has repeatedly stressed that the annexation of Crimea to Russia took place in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. However, Ukraine has always considered the region to be temporarily occupied territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin also affirmed that "the Crimea issue is finally closed".
