Kremlin slams Sobchak’s statement on Crimea as totally wrong
Speaking at her press conference on Tuesday, Ksenia Sobchak said that in her opinion Crimea belonged to Ukraine "from the standpoint of international law"
MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. The statement of TV socialite-turned-presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak on Crimea's territorial belonging is totally wrong, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
"This is a wrong statement both in substance and form," Peskov said.
The presidential spokesman stressed that in terms of international law de jure and de facto Crimea is an inalienable part of Russia. "Crimea’s territorial and sovereign belonging is not a subject for discussion," he said.
Speaking about holding Sobchak accountable for calls to violate Russia’s territorial integrity, Peskov said this is not a matter of the presidential administration and the Kremlin.
When asked if this move could stonewall Sobchak’s plans to be registered as a presidential candidate, Peskov said "unfortunately or fortunately" he had no chance to carefully study her statement.
"I cannot tell you, I’m not working for the Central Election Commission," Peskov said. "We have the Central Election Commission, and neither the Kremlin nor the (presidential) administration register presidential candidates."
On Tuesday, speaking at her press conference in Moscow, Sobchak said that in her opinion Crimea belonged to Ukraine "from the standpoint of international law" and that Moscow and Kiev should try to mend relations at any cost. Also, she argues that by its consent to incorporate Crimea Russia violated the Budapest memorandum of 1994.
The leader of Russia’s Liberal Democratic party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, has urged criminal proceedings against Sobchak for her statement on Crimea, stressing that she deserves a five-year prison term.