SUDAK /Republic of Crimea/, August 12. /TASS/. Western countries are well aware that Crimea is a part of Russia and are just trying to play up to the current Ukrainian authorities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Thursday.
"They are perfectly aware that Crimea is a Russian territory. They are trying to pander to the outright racist and neo-Nazi actions and plans of the current Kiev regime just to disturb us," the Russian top diplomat said in response to a question about when Western countries would recognize Crimea’s status.
"If our Western partners have to hide their complete awareness of reality behind the desire to play up to these caveman-instincts of the current Ukrainian authorities, then I can only feel pity for them. They are driving themselves into a corner from where it will be very difficult to creep out, but they will still have to creep out," Lavrov said.
As Russia’s top diplomat recalled, those who staged a state coup in Ukraine in February 2014 declared outright that Russians would never think and speak Ukrainian and, therefore, they must be driven out of Crimea. "This looked so much like caveman-mentality at that time. However, a couple of weeks ago, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky actually repeated the same demand," the Russian foreign minister said.