Crimea’s reunification with Russia should be recognized as reality — Austrian politician

"If people spoke in favor of returning to Russia at the referendum, then it is for the best," Heinz-Christian Strache, the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPA), said.

BERLIN, September 25. /TASS/. Europe should recognize the reunification of Russia and Crimea because it reflects the will of the majority of people on the peninsula, Heinz-Christian Strache, the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPA), told Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.

"I think that is already a political reality," Strache said responding to a question on whether he is ready to recognize Crimea as part of Russia. "The referendum was democratic and legal. We were there then and had an opportunity to make sure that the reunification was in line with the interests of the majority of the population," he added.

The Austrian politician noted that "Crimea was always Russian, and it was illegally handed over by (Nikita) Krushchev." "If people spoke in favor of returning to Russia at the referendum, then it is for the best," Strache said.

He continued by noting that Western countries demonstrate double standards in the issue of recognizing the legitimacy of Russia’s reunification with Crimea. "Look at Kosovo. The unilateral declaration of independence there was a clear violation of international law, but neither EU nor US minded that, once again using their double-standard approaches," he concluded.

 
Source: ITAR-TASS 25-09-2016

Donetsk leader says weapons may be withdrawn from ten more areas

Earlier the Contact Group agreed on the principles and a timeframe for disengaging forces of Kiev and militias in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

DONETSK, September 23. /TASS/. The disengagement of forces and hardware on the contact line in Donbass is possible in ten more areas, envoy of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic to the Minsk talks Denis Pushilin said on Friday.

"If this experience (disengagement of forces) is successful, then there will be ten more such areas of withdrawal," Pushilin was quoted by the Donetsk News Agency as saying.

On September 21, the participants of the Contact Group on settlement in eastern Ukraine signed a framework agreement on disengaging the warring parties in Donbass. The discussion on the document had lasted for three months. The Contact Group agreed on the principles and a timeframe for disengaging forces of Kiev and militias in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

The first stage envisages the creation of security zones in three areas - near Zolotoye, Stanitsa Luganskaya and Petrovsky. The troops are withdrawn to create security zones "not less than 2 km in width and 2 km in depth." 

The entire process of disengaging forces and hardware, including the preparations for it, should last for no more than 30 days for each area.

The document also says that the disengagement of forces may be conducted in other areas after consultations.

 
Source: ITAR-TASS 24-09-2016

Diplomat: Kiev must admit guilt for not closing airspace over area of MH17 disaster

Russia’s UN envoy has also questioned the independence and impartiality of the closed probe into the loss of Malaysia’s flight MH17 over Donbass

UNITED NATIONS, September 22. /TASS/. Kiev must acknowledge the responsibility for failing to close airspace in the area where Malaysia’s flight MH17 was lost on July 17, 2014, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said at a meeting of the UN Security Council devoted to civil aviation safety on Thursday.

"Once the Ukrainian side has decided to raise the theme of Flight MH17, it would be appropriate for Kiev to begin with recognizing the responsibility for failing to close the airspace over the country’s east, where the authorities were conducting a large-scale military operation," Churkin said. 

Russia’s UN envoy has also questioned the independence and impartiality of the closed probe into the loss of Malaysia’s flight MH17 over Donbass: 

"It’s quite a while since then, but the criminal investigation of the disaster has not been completed to this day and it is proceeding behind closed doors," Churkin said at a meeting of the UN Security Council devoted to civil aviation safety. "It is a big question if it can be considered as independent and impartial. We’ll see."

"But hoping for this after the statements we’ve heard today from Mr. Klimkin (Ukrainian foreign minister - TASS) is ever more difficult," Churkin added. 

 

Safe flights over Crimea and Black Sea

Ukraine is politicizing the question of flight safety over Crimea and the Black Sea. Russia can ensure it in full measure, Churkin assured. 

"The Ukrainian side cannot keep from politicizing the matter, including at ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), which leads to additional expenses by air carriers; creates inconveniences to passengers and more importantly may create flight safety risks."

"It is Russia that is capable of ensuring reliable air flights over Crimea and the Black Sea in full measure," Churkin said describing as inappropriate the Ukrainian delegation’s attempts to politicize the matter.
 
Source: ITAR-TASS 23-09-2016

Russia opens criminal cases into attack on its embassy in Kiev

On September 18, Ukrainian radicals blocked the entry to Russia's embassy in Kiev, set a flag on fire.

MOSCOW, September 22. /TASS/. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened criminal cases into the attack on the country’s embassy in Kiev early on September 17 and the actions of Ukraine's radicals on hindering the vote at the State Duma elections in the building, official spokesman Vladimir Markin told TASS.

"The investigators believe that these crimes were committed by radicals with the goal of deteriorating international relations between Russia and Ukraine," Markin said.

In the small hours of September 17, about 20 radicals attacked the Russian embassy in Kiev, throwing smoke pots and opening fire from salute guns, and only by a happy chance no fire occurred, the embassy told TASS earlier. "As a result, the property of Russia was damaged," Markin stressed.

On September 18, the election day, representatives of Ukraine’s radical public organizations again came to the Russian embassy in Kiev. The radicals blocked the entry to the building preventing Russian citizens from entering the territory to vote. Besides, they set a Russian flag on fire.

"An investigation is underway to establish all the circumstances of the committed crimes," Markin said.

 
Source: ITAR-TASS 22-09-2016

Russian MP says Ukraine’s calls not to recognize Russian elections are ridiculous and void

Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada passed a resolution on non-recognition of the legitimacy of Russia’s parliamentary elections over voting in Crimea.

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. A senior Russian lawmaker said on Tuesday the Ukrainian parliament’s calls not to recognize Sunday’s elections to the Russian State Duma lower parliament house are "ridiculous and void."

Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, or Parliament, passed a resolution on non-recognition of the legitimacy of Russia’s parliamentary elections over voting in Crimea. The document won support from 264 Ukrainian lawmakers whereas 226 votes are needed to pass a bill or a resolution. The resolution says that Rada lawmakers will turn to the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, to parliaments of foreign states, parliamentary assemblies and international organizations with a "call not to recognize legitimacy of the elections to the Russian seventh State Duma."

"Rada’s calls not to recognize the elections to the Russian State Duma were quite predictable but they are ridiculous and void anyway," Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the State Duma committee for the affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots, told journalists. "They can influence nothing and have nothing to do with the reality."

He said it is obvious Ukraine’s parliament passes such statements at the suggestion of "Western patrons."

"I am sure such statements are written not in Kiev. I would repeat it once again that the present-day Ukraine is a territory of external management and many decision, especially those of the anti-Russian nature, are taken at the suggestion of Western patrons," Slutsky said.

"And naturally, today’s calls of the Verkhovna Rada, like many of its statements of the past two years, are beyond all international law norms," he added.

Elections to the State Duma, or Russia’s lower house of Parliament, were held on September 18 in a split system: 225 members of parliament were elected by party tickets, while the other 225 were elected in one-seat constituencies. With 99.38% of ballots counted, Russia’s ruling United Russia party is winning 54.18% of the vote. It is followed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, of CPRF, with 13.35% of vote, LDPR (13.16%), and A Just Russia (6.21%).

 
Source: ITAR-TASS 21-09-2016