Pavlo Klimkin
Photo: Ivan Kovalenko / “Kommersant”
Ukraine is not going to sever diplomatic relations with Russia. In an interview with the Austrian edition Der Standard, published on Tuesday, August 16, said the head of the foreign Ministry of the country Pavlo Klimkin.
“We have millions of Ukrainians in Russia, which we should care. If Russia did decide [to break diplomatic relations], then it’s her responsibility,” — said the Minister.
In addition, Klimkin said that “Ukraine does not leave attempts to agree with Russia on the Crimea.”
A day earlier, the Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow is not interested in the rupture of diplomatic relations with Ukraine, adding that this is an extreme measure. According to Lavrov, “the main thing now — not to give in to emotions, not to fall into some extreme options.
The question about the possible suspension of bilateral cooperation on diplomatic lines stood after attempts of saboteurs of the Main intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of defense of Ukraine (Gur MOU) to organize terrorist attacks in the Crimea. August 12, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that President Vladimir Putin can make the decision to break off diplomatic relations with Kiev after the incident.
On 10 August, the FSB of Russia said that in the Crimea disclosed a network of agents of the Ukrainian military intelligence has detected and detained a group of saboteurs, and units of the Ukrainian intelligence service tried to break into the territory of the Peninsula.
Later it was reported that the organizer of commando operations was an employee of the Gur MOU captain Vladimir Serdyuk. However, he rejected charges in the address.
