Foreign Minister Lavrov Calls Crimea And Donbass' Recognition As Part Of Russia A Must

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (Twitter/@mfa_russia)

JAKARTA - International recognition of Crimea, the House of Representatives (Republic Rakyat Donetsk), LPR (Luhansk People's Republic), Kherson and Zaporozhye (Zaporizhia) regions as part of Russia is a must in the settlement (of war with Ukraine), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

"International recognition of Crimea, Sevastopol, DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as part of Russia is another necessity," he said, quoted by TASS April 29.

"All commitments that Kyiv assumes must be legally binding, contain law enforcement mechanisms and are permanent," added Foreign Minister Lavrov.

Moscow has not kept its position a secret regarding the settlement, the minister noted.

"Russia is based on the premise that Kyiv did not join NATO, and reiterated its neutral and non-block status in accordance with the 1990 Ukrainian State Sovereignty Declaration, these factors form one of the two pillars of the final settlement of the Ukraine crisis that will meet Russia's security interests," he said.

"The second title consists of overcoming the legacy of the neo-Nazi regime that took power in Kyiv after the February 2014 coup, including the initiative of the perpetrators to eradicate and cancel, both physically and legislatively, everything that smells Russian, be it Russian language, media, culture, traditions, or canonical Orthodox beliefs," Lavrov explained.

"Ukraine's de-Nazification and de-Nazification are also on the agenda, along with the lifting of sanctions, withdrawing lawsuits, and canceling arrest warrants, as well as returning Russian assets targeted by so-called freezing in the West," he stressed.

Russia will also insist on obtaining strong security guarantees for itself to protect it from any threats "derived from hostile activities in NATO, the European Union, and some of its member states along our western border," the minister concluded.