The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine decisively rejects the approaches towards an Assistance Group for Ukraine, proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in its statement. Statement’s content and ultimatum-like character corroborate that the Russian Federation is guided by the logic of aggressor.
Proposals by the Russian side are filled with international legal nihilism and disregard of international law and directly contradict the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs, enshrined in Article 2 of the UN Charter. According to this principle, each state determines, on its own authority, the form of government, state system, political regime etc.
Russian demand to recognize the right of Crimea to independently determine its destiny is nothing more than another attempt to provide a flimsy legal basis for the act of aggression against Ukraine according to the definitions given in the Resolution of the UN General Assembly №3314 (ХХІХ) of 14 December 1974.
Russia’s actions contradict the principle of the territorial integrity of our state and other fundamental norms of international law, the UN Charter, the CSCE Helsinki Final Act and the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law.
Proposed ideas reflect totally unacceptable approach – to redraw the borders of Ukraine, to deprive it of sovereign right to internal and foreign policy as well as to undermine the foundations of the system of international relations in post-war, post-Communist and post-Soviet Europe.
Ukraine is open for talks on resolving the situation in Crimea. These talks, however, can only be held with full-fledged participation of Ukraine and on the basis of respect to the principles of territorial integrity and non-intervention in internal affairs of our state.