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Russian lawmaker says cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine may lead to introducing visas

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said earlier on Friday that he does not rule out that diplomatic relations with Ukraine could be severed

© Igor Zarembo/ITAR-TASS/archive

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Russian PM doesn't rule out diplomatic relations with Kiev could be broken

MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. Severance of diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine could entail the introduction of visas between the two counties, Leonid Kalashnikov, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma lower house International Affairs Committee, has told TASS.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said earlier on Friday that he does not rule out that diplomatic relations with Ukraine could be severed, if there is no other option. He noted that the Russian president could make such a decision.

"I am afraid the severance of relations (between Russia and Ukraine) could entail the introduction of visas among other things, which would be undesirable," he said. He pointed out though that "the decision on this (severing diplomatic relations) seems to be obvious." "I just hope this will not affect relations between the two peoples," he said.

According to Kalashnikov, "there are virtually no diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine." "Diplomatic relations (with Ukraine) could hardly be worse. Nothing will change if we sever them officially," he said, adding that, if this is the case, diplomatic work between Moscow and Kiev will continue through the embassy of another country, "the way we work in Georgia through the Swiss embassy."

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Moscow expects visa regime with Russia to hurt Ukraine

"The severance of diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine would be a forced step in response to Kiev’s provocations, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee, Alexander Romanovich, has told TASS.

"That will be a forced step in response to the provocations that occur," he said. "Over the past few months, Ukraine has been doing everything to escalate the situation in relations between Russia and Ukraine, in the Donbass region and on the Russian-Ukrainian border in Crimea. The latest events up to skirmishes and attempts to get saboteurs into Russia’s territory prove this."

Romanovich added that Medvedev’s statements are a signal to the authorities in Kiev urging them to change their attitude towards relations with Moscow. "We are warning, sending another signal to the Ukrainian leaders to change the situation and their approach towards our relations," he said. "I think these remarks by the Russian side are a warning about the inadmissibility of the actions taken by them," he said.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy

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