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Moscow urges Kiev to ensure security of Russian diplomatic missions during elections

Moscow is concerned about the intention of some Ukrainian nationalist and extremist organizations to hamper the voting
Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Japaridze/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry
© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. Moscow demands that Kiev unconditionally ensure the security of Russia’s diplomatic missions in Ukraine during the upcoming presidential election.

"Moscow is concerned about the intention by some Ukrainian nationalist and extremist organizations to hinder the voting during the Russian presidential election in Russia’s diplomatic and consular missions on March 18, 2018," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. "We demand that the Ukrainian authorities ensure the security of the Russian Embassy in Kiev, the Russian Consulates General in Kharkov, Odessa and Lvov without any preconditions and prevent the creation of any obstacles for their full-fledged work and free visits by Russian citizens."

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, such threats "grossly violating Ukraine’s commitments under the Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular relations are a direct consequence of the anti-Russian policy pursued by the regime in Kiev based on outright nationalism and connivance with extremist groups of various kinds."

That said, Moscow calls on "international organizations and agencies interested in the civilized and peaceful development of the situation in Ukraine to exert a proper influence on Kiev and prevent it from taking inappropriate steps running counter to the generally accepted norms and rules."

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the Ukrainian authorities shoulder all the responsibility for negative consequences of any illegal actions against Russia’s diplomatic missions.

"Russia will keep a close eye on the situation around the Russian diplomatic missions and Russian citizens during the election. We expect Kiev to take all necessary steps to promptly thwart any possible provocations," the statement reads.