BAKU, June 28, 17:34 /ITAR-TASS/. Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Speaker Sergei Naryshkin denied Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko’s assertions that Russian society allegedly hates Ukraine.
Commenting on Poroshenko’s speech in Strasbourg on Friday, June 27, Naryshkin made two points. “I was surprised by his [Poroshenko’s] accusations that Russia is an aggressor. Russia never had and does not have armed units in Ukraine, and the Federation Council’s decision to revoke its resolution [allowing President Vladimir Putin to use the army in Ukraine] is another confirmation of our peaceful and open intentions. To those who didn’t study history well in school, I would like to say that the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s base has been in Crimea for more than two centuries and it has been there in full compliance with international law,” he told journalists after making a speech at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Baku on Saturday, June 28.
“Second, Poroshenko said Russian society hates Ukraine. It’s now quite so, to put it mildly. Apparently, the aide who wrote this part of his speech is completely ignorant of the history, culture and mentality of the two brotherly nations, two Orthodox Slavic nations, and it seems that this part of this speech was written by an aide with an Anglo-Saxon outlook, I should say,” Naryshkin emphasised.
He recalled that the biggest part of Poroshenko’s business had been in Russia. “His plants worked very successfully, but it would hardly have been so if, as he said, the people of Russia, let alone regional authorities, hated him as a representative of the Ukrainian people,” he said.
He urged Kiev to take “decisive peace” steps towards people in the south-east of Ukraine.
“We welcome elected Ukrainian President [Pyotr] Poroshenko’s commitment to restoration of peace in the country. Russia wishes this as no other country does and is doing everything necessary for that. But if we sincerely want peace, it is important to take decisive peace steps with regard to those who have so much suffered from the bombing raids, artillery shelling and violence. They must get the guarantees of their right to future life and future participation in the running of the Ukrainian state. European parliamentarians should watch closely to make sure that the Ukrainian authorities’ words match their actions.