The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine rejects resolutely the approaches made public in the Statement of the Ministry of Foreign of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on the Group of Support for Ukraine. The content and ultimatumness of the statement reaffirm that the Russian Federation is guided by the logic of aggressor.

The proposals of the Russian side are imbued with international legal nihilism and contempt of international law; they directly contradict the principle of non-interference into domestic matters as enshrined in Article 2 of the UN Charter. In accordance with the said principle, each state independently decides on its form of government, state structure, political regime etc.

The Russian demand to recognize the right of Crimea to determine its destiny is nothing but yet another attempt to match a loose legal foundation to the act of aggression against Ukraine as determined by UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX) dated December 14, 1974.

Russia’s actions contradict the principle of territorial integrity of our state and other fundamental norms of international law, UN Charter, CSCE Final Act and the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law.

The proposed ideas reflect a completely inacceptable approach – redraw Ukraine’s borders, deprive it of sovereign right to domestic and foreign policy, and undermine the foundations of the system of international relations in post-war, post-communist and post-soviet Europe.

Ukraine is open for negotiations on the settlement of Crimea situation. Such negotiations, however, may take place only with full-fledged participation of Ukraine and on the basis of respect to the principles of territorial integrity and noninterference into domestic matters of our state.