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Kremlin lambasts former US envoys’ ‘absurd speculation’ on Crimea

The spokesman has commented on a suggestion that the coronavirus outbreak and the plunging oil prices could force Moscow to review its stance and hand over Crimea to Ukraine

MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Moscow is not going to change its stance on Crimea and the Ukrainian crisis no matter what, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday, commenting on the remarks by former US ambassadors to Kiev.

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"This viewpoint [that Russia could change its position] is unrealistic and absurd in many ways," Peskov said, commenting on a suggestion that the coronavirus outbreak and the plunging oil prices could force Moscow to review its stance on the Ukrainian settlement and hand over Crimea to Ukraine.

"Crimea is part of the Russian Federation, with all with all the consequences this entails," Peskov stressed. "Russia doesn’t have to leave Donbass soil since it had never entered there," he also noted.

Peskov noted that he was proud to say that Russia’s former ambassadors were "much smarter, more experienced and more objective in their analytical works."

Earlier, some media outlets reported that three ex-US ambassadors suggested taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic in order to "return" Crimea to Ukraine. The former diplomats also said the issue of lifting anti-Russian sanctions could be raised if the Donbass conflict ended.

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