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Crimea and Sevastopol

Upper house speaker says Russia will not discuss Crimea status issue with anyone

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky arrived in Brussels on his first working visit on June 4, the strategy of returning Crimea is expected to be among the issues raised by Kiev

YALTA /Republic of Crimea/, June 5. /TASS/. Speaker of the Russian Federation Council (upper house) Valentina Matviyenko has said that the issue of Crimea’s status is closed, and Russia will not discuss it with anyone.

"The Crimea issue is closed, this is a historical fact, the expression of will, which meets all international norms. The decision was made, we do not plan to discuss this issue with anyone, there is nothing to discuss. The Ukrainian leadership raises the Crimea issue as a territory, while for us Crimea is people," she said at the 5th International Humanitarian Livadia Forum on Wednesday.

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According to Matviyenko, the participants in the forum leave Crimea with an understanding of what is actually happening on the peninsula. "Everyone is leaving in a good mood and with an understanding of what’s going on in Russia’s Crimea. The opinion about what is happening is completely different, it will be conveyed to the countries the guests came from. This is the best way to convey the truth," the speaker stressed.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s spokesperson earlier said that the head of state would discuss the strategy for "Crimea’s return" with high-ranking EU and NATO officials during his first foreign visit to Brussels, which began on Tuesday.

The Livadia forum is being held as part of the Great Russian Word international festival of Russian and Slavic culture held in Crimea annually since 2007. The forum is aimed at supporting Russian culture, consolidating the position of the Russian language and developing international humanitarian cooperation.

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Crimea and Sevastopol Valentina Matviyenko Vladimir Zelensky

Military operation in Ukraine

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