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Ukraine turns down Russia’s proposal to return defense equipment from Crimea

Ukraine's top diplomat said Kiev "won’t do anything that could weaken the country's legal or political position"
The ships belonging to Ukraine in Sevastopol port  Sergey Malgavko/TASS
The ships belonging to Ukraine in Sevastopol port
© Sergey Malgavko/TASS

KIEV, January 22. /TASS/. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin made it clear on Monday the Kiev government would not respond to proposals from Moscow to take back its defense technologies stranded in Crimea after the peninsula's reunification with Russia.

"We don’t have any dialogue with Russia on the issues regarding Crimea’s status," he told reporters. "We won’t do anything that could weaken our legal or political position."

In addition, Klimkin said the Ukrainian authorities had not received any official invitations from Russia to come to Crimea and Moscow’s proposals looked like a trick.

Russia President Vladimir Putin said earlier Russia was ready return to Ukraine the defense technologies and equipment stranded in Crimea after the reunification of that territory with Russia.

He warned, however, the equipment, especially naval ships, were in a pitiable condition.

Igor Voronenko, the commander of the Ukrainian Navy said later the proposal required careful examinations. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said they were looking into the issue.

However, Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman said in explicit terms Kiev was not ready to agree to take back its ships from Crimea in the way Moscow had suggested.