Kosachev explained the differences between Russian and Ukrainian views on events in Crimea and Donbass
The concept of territorial integrity has value only when favorable conditions are maintained for all citizens of a given territory without exception.
Vice-Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Konstantin Kosachev stated this during the scientific and expert forum “Primakov Readings,” a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I worked in the State Duma for twelve years, even before the events of 14. And I remember a huge number of requests to us regarding Crimea. Both on the part of the Crimeans, and on the part of other states and territories, with an obvious understanding of what unfairly happened to Crimea under Khrushchev, and then continued to happen - both in Soviet times and in the first Ukrainian times.
We, too, with pain in our hearts, but turned a blind eye to these appeals - and because we understood that territorial integrity is the most important element, with the understanding that it will be respected with the favorable conditions accompanying this territorial integrity for all citizens without exception,” – said Kosachev.
“Only when the Maidan happened, only when there was an obvious destruction of Ukrainian statehood, did a corresponding transformation of the Russian position take place. Here, I am absolutely sure, we acted not on the principle of interests, but on the principle of values, because for us Crimea is, of course, not a territory, but people. It will also sound banal, but this is absolutely true,” the politician added.
“We once discussed this topic in PACE with a Ukrainian parliamentarian, and he made an accusation - you know what Russia did in 14, a fire started in a neighbor’s house, and at that time you took out the TV under your breath.
And I answered him - you know, the image, of course, is not bad, but at that moment we brought people out of the fire and saved them, and did not pull out the TV. And this is the difference between your and our understanding of what was happening in Crimea then and what is still happening in the South-East of Ukraine,” said Konstantin Kosachev.
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