MOSCOW, December 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said on Thursday that Russia was categorically against Ukraine’s destruction and disintegration. “We stand for independent but friendly development. We are categorically against disintegration and destruction of Ukraine. It should not follow the path of the former Yugoslavia. It is going to be a common tragedy for us and will create a complicated situation,” the politician said at the Open Tribune meeting at the Russian State Duma lower house of parliament on Thursday.

According to Zyuganov, Russia should exert maximum efforts and remember that the two countries have colossal joint opportunities, including human, economic, technological and production potential. “We have real opportunities to solve problems and overcome crises,” the Russian Communist Party leader emphasized.

“But there is no sense in putting up a border where it has never been,” Zyuganov said.

“I have crossed the border between Germany and France several times. No one has ever asked me for a passport over the past 20 years. The situation is different when I go to Ukraine: they check my suitcases,” Zyuganov went on to say. He called on the Russians and Ukrainians to get rid of “the medieval vision of the past years.”

In the meanwhile, Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin who also attended the Open Tribune meeting at the Russian State Duma said that that unlike the West, which was giving empty promises to Ukraine and was putting up unceremonious demands, Russia had offered it real assistance.

“We are offering real assistance without any pre-conditions or unceremonious demands to a sovereign state. It could not have been otherwise in relations between truly brethren nations,” Naryshkin said in his opening remarks.

The Russian-Ukrainian inter-state commission signed more than a dozen reciprocal agreements, including in the sphere of bilateral economic cooperation, at its recent meeting.

 

“It is an entire roadmap for further development of our relations,” Naryshkin went on to say.

The speaker recalled that the Russian State Duma had recently made a statement on the situation in Ukraine in which the lower house of Russian parliament had called on all political forces in Ukrainian society to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

“If we compare the text of the Duma statement with the European Parliament resolution passed on December 12 this year, it will immediately become clear which of the sides is exerting pressure and which of the two components is a direct and open political blackmail,” Naryshkin stressed.

He noted that the situation in the neighboring country was far from being stable. “The Ukrainian society is split and attempts to start a political dialogue are being thwarted one after another. Often, emotions are prevailing over sober sense,” Naryshkin explained.

The Russian State Duma speaker said that Russia respected the right of Ukraine and its people to make crucial decisions on their future independently.

“But we should give answers to several questions, especially those that concern the priorities in cooperation between our countries, including the priorities of our inter-parliamentary ties, which, in fact, have never been interrupted,” Naryshkin emphasized.