Russia's Foreign Ministry states it will not allow Ukraine to be restored within 1991 borders
On 1 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation issued a statement claiming that Moscow "will never allow" the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised 1991 borders.
Source: statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry
Details: The statement repeated accusations against Ukraine and Western countries, alleging so-called "cannibalistic intentions" to "destroy everything Russian".
Quote: "It is absolutely clear that behind the futile and unfounded demands by the Kyiv regime and its supporters in the West for the so-called restoration of Ukraine within the 1991 borders lies a cannibalistic instinct to annihilate everything Russian.
It is clear that Russia will never allow such a scenario to be implemented."
Background:
- On 22 April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine does not recognise Russia’s occupation of Crimea, which is internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory.
- Trump criticised the statement, saying "Crimea was lost years ago" and that Zelenskyy’s words are "harmful to the peace negotiations".
- In an interview with The Time, Trump again claimed that the root cause of Russia’s military aggression was Ukraine’s desire to join NATO and implied that Crimea is lost to Ukraine.
- On 25 April, Zelenskyy said Ukraine currently does not have enough weapons to regain control of temporarily occupied Crimea, but noted that the international community has various tools to pressure Russia into discussing territorial issues.
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