BRENDAN COLE
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has appeared to back the territorial integrity of Ukraine agreed upon after the break-up of the Soviet Union when Crimea was internationally recognized as part of the country Moscow has invaded.
Ukrainian social media users noted Lavrov's response at a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday when asked whether Russia will "recognize the sovereignty of Ukraine."
Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, and Kyiv has repeatedly stated that one of its war aims is the recapture of the occupied peninsula, which has been the scene of a series of recent high-profile strikes conducted by Ukrainian forces.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is seen at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2023. He said that Russia recognized the territorial integrity of Ukraine agreed in 1991 under certain conditions.
Lavrov said that in 1991 Moscow "recognized the sovereignty of Ukraine on the basis of the Declaration of Independence, which it adopted upon leaving the USSR," in which Crimea was considered to be under the control of Kyiv.
He said that the declaration "contained a lot of good things," which formed part of Ukraine's constitution, including protecting minority rights and the status of the Russian language.
"One of the main points for us was that Ukraine would be a non-aligned country and would not enter into any military alliances, Lavrov said. "Under those conditions, we support the territorial integrity of this state."
This reiterates one of the Kremlin's justifications for its invasion, namely the alignment of Kyiv towards NATO and the encroachment of the alliance on Russia's borders.
Lavrov then repeated Kremlin rhetoric about American interference in Ukraine in a "coup" in 2004 and said that in 2014 Crimea "joined" Russia following a referendum, the results of which have been condemned internationally. He also claimed Kyiv instigated the war in the Donbas.
"We have no problems with the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It was destroyed by those who carried out and supported the coup, whose leaders declared war against their own people and began to bomb them," Lavrov added, according to a transcript of his comments on the Russian foreign ministry website.
"Surprise, surprise! Russia recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the framework of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of July 16, 1990," wrote Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko on X (formerly Twitter), next to a video clip of the comments.
Gerashchenko added that the declaration "also mentions twice the inviolability of the borders of the Ukrainian SSR," which as "a sovereign national state is developing within its existing borders."
"The territory of the Ukrainian SSR within its existing borders is inviolable and cannot be changed or used without its consent," he added.
Maria Drutska, who works in Ukrainian foreign affairs, posted on X: " I hope this nonsense didn't fly with the Western audience. Although it's interesting, if you respect Ukraine's integrity so much, give Crimea back to us?"
Lavrov also used the press conference to accuse the West of "de facto" fighting against Moscow in Ukraine, and referred to Western military equipment supplied to Kyiv.
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment