MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. Russia’s decision to pardon former Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko may become an important stage in restoring the Russian-Ukrainian relations, Ukrainian Choice public movement leader Viktor Medvedchuk said in an interview with Rossiya-24 TV channel on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday to pardon Savchenko convicted in Russia for directing the Ukrainian army’s artillery fire in east Ukraine that killed Russian journalists. Savchenko was taken to Kiev aboard a plane on the same day.

"The action that took place today, May 25, is a proof and an important factor that these relations can be restored and this can even be a stage of such restoration of the relations between Ukraine and Russia," the politician said.

As Medvedchuk said, he had met with Russian President Putin on Wednesday and thanked him for the pardon granted to Savchenko.

"I expressed sincere gratitude to Yekaterina Sergeyevna Kornelyuk and Marianna Dmitriyevna Voloshina [the mothers of Russia’s VGTRK media group journalists killed in the Donbass area] for their courage and nobleness to turn to President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin with a petition for pardoning Savchenko," Medvedchuk said.