The Russian side will consider the territorial integrity of Ukraine only in in the event that the country remains non-aligned. This statement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a press conference following the session of the UN General Assembly.
The Russian diplomat recalled that Moscow recognized the sovereignty of Ukraine back in 1991 on the basis of the Declaration of Independence, which Kiev accepted during the exit from the USSR. The document stated that the country would respect the rights of national minorities, the rights of the Russian language.
“In the Declaration of Independence it was one of the main points for us that Ukraine would be a non-aligned country and would not enter into any military alliances. In that edition, under those conditions, we support the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Lavrov said.
In addition, the Russian minister emphasized that the Russian Federation did not violate territorial integrity. According to him, this was done by those who carried out a coup in Kyiv and started shooting at their own citizens.