MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Moscow views statements by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky about Russians as fomenting interethnic tensions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Hungary’s newspaper Magyar Nemzet published on Monday.

"I recall that ombudsperson for protection of the state language Taras Kremin in early August suggested that all non-Ukrainian speaking residents of Ukraine should leave the country. Vladimir Zelensky in an interview published on August 5 recommended that Russians ‘should leave and look for a place in Russia.’ We view these statements as instigating interethnic hatred. By the way, European Union countries can hold you criminally liable for that," he stressed.

The minister underlined that Kiev’s actions aimed at "forcing through the ideology of ethnic intolerance in Ukraine, primarily against Russians" are qualified by Moscow as "completely unacceptable."

Earlier, Zelensky said that it is a great mistake for people who believe themselves to be Russian to stay in Donbass, recommending that they leave for Russia. According to him, Donbass "will never be a Russian territory," while "there will be no civilization without Ukraine.".