Statement of the MFA of Ukraine on anti-Ukrainian statements of Russian Federation officials

The MFA of Ukraine is seriously concerned by statements of Russian Federation officials regarding Ukraine.

Statements of high level Russian Federation officials had an explicit anti-Ukrainian character, questioned the territorial integrity of Ukraine and can be considered as a direct interference to Ukrainian internal affairs.

We reiterate: Ukraine is an independent state and independently defines its internal and external policy, which is designed to ensure and protect its own national interests.

Deepening of equal and partner relationship with all the countries, first of all with the neighbouring ones, in compliance with universally recognized norms of international law, particularly with the UN Charter has been the core of Ukraine’s foreign policy. Striving to consolidate international peace and security determined the decision of our state to abandon the third biggest in the world nuclear arsenal. The nuclear states, including the Russian Federation, from their side provided Ukraine the security guaranties fixed in the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.

That is absolutely unacceptable that the Russian Federation as one of the sides of the mentioned Memorandum and permanent member of the UN Security Council responsible for maintaining of international peace and security resorts to unfriendly steps towards Ukraine, calls in question its territorial integrity and sovereign right to make a decision concerning its own foreign policy choice. Under such circumstances it is becoming increasingly more evident that the Euro-Atlantic choice of Ukraine is the only possibility to guaranty security of our state. Thus Ukraine must integrate to NATO as the basis of collective security system.

The MFA of Ukraine expects from the Russian side to cease the practice of threatening Ukraine and to observe the provisions of Ukraine-Russia Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership. In particular, this treaty provides for commitments of mutual respect of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and non-use of force and non-interference to internal affairs of the sides.

Ukraine will undertake all necessary measures stipulated by international law to protect its sovereignty and independence.