MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The renaming of the Moskovsky Avenue (derived from the word "Moscow") in Kiev to the Avenue of Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera to spite Russia will not make Ukraine closer to Europe, a senior Russian senator said Thursday while commenting on the decision of the Ukrainian capital’s city council.
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Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the international affairs committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, said Ukrainians were "convinced that by all those actions they give a ‘resolute rebuff to the enemy’, like we will rename Moskovsky to Bandera to spite Russia."
But by those actions, Kosachev said, Ukraine only confirms its reputation of a country not capable of coming to agreements, which is unable to implement the Minsk Agreements.
"The bad news for those who foment the general passion is that people not only in Russia begin to realize it, which means that support [of Ukraine] will decrease. One may only guess where the Bandera Avenue could take Ukraine. But it will surely not take it to Europe," he said.
Kosachev said that by such actions, Kiev wants to distract the population’s attention from "depressing" economic and social realia today’s Ukraine is living in.
On Thursday the Kiev city council voted for renaming of the Moskovsky Avenue in Kiev to the Stepan Bandera Avenue. Kiev council deputy Yury Sirotyuk said "87 out of 97 those present voted for, and no one voted against."
Stepan Bandera was a nationalist leader in Western Ukraine in the 20th century who collaborated with the Nazis during World War II.