Will Russia recognize the sovereignty of Kiev over the south-east of Ukraine?

The Head of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin named conditions for peaceful settlement of the situation in the south-east of Ukraine.

"We certainly welcome the willingness of the newly elected president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to restore peace in the country. Russia as no one else wants it and does whatever is necessary. If we genuinely want peace, we must take decisive and peaceful measures towards citizens in the south-east of Ukraine. They too have suffered from bombings, violence and lawlessness. We need to protect them from this. It is necessary to ensure their right to a future life and future participation in the management of the Ukrainian state," said Naryshkin in Baku at a briefing during the session of the OSCE on June 28.

And from the "European partners and parliamentarians" Russia expects controls to ensure that "the actions of Ukrainian authorities agree with their words."

"Russia is not an aggressor. It has no armed forces on the territory of Ukraine," noted further Naryshkin.

As far as Crimea is concerned, then, as noted by Naryshkin, there is a Black Sea Navy base there and, according to the Speaker of the State Duma, "it is present in accordance with international law."

 On the question whether Russia recognizes the right to self-determination of peoples of Russia itself, and in particular Chechens, Naryshkin said that the relationship between the principles of the UN Charter, namely territorial integrity and the right to self-determination "is not simple".

However, he pointed to the presence of the UN Convention, which sets out "the situation in which these principles of international law are related."

In Crimea, all, according to Naryshkin, occurred in full compliance with international law, based on the democratic will of the population.

 Naryshkin abstained from a direct answer to the Turan question whether RF recognizes the Lugansk and Donetsk regions part of Ukraine.

 "The Russian Federation takes all political and diplomatic measures to support all the Ukrainian people so that this crisis, confrontation, violence and civil war would be suspended as soon as possible," said Naryshkin.

 He added that Russia has been providing humanitarian assistance to refugees from the south-east of Ukraine, the number of which in Russia, according to Naryshkin, reaches 400,000 people and another 50,000 in other regions of Ukraine. -06B -