The former Ukrainian territories are an indivisible part of the country, Dmitry Peskov has said
FILE PHOTO: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, December 14, 2023 © Getty Images / Anadolu / Contributor
The former Ukrainian regions that have joined Russia are an integral part of the country and encroaching on them will have consequences, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
The remarks came in response to questions from journalists regarding whether Moscow is concerned about the borders of Ukraine should it be accepted into the EU.
“We are talking about Russian regions, an integral part of the Russian Federation. With all the consequences for those who might claim them,” Peskov said.
In September 2022, four former Ukrainian territories – the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions – joined Russia following referendums in which the overwhelming majority of residents voted in favor.
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The Kremlin spokesman also claimed that accepting “a country like Ukraine, regardless of its territorial problems,” into the EU would undermine the bloc’s entire system. He added that “sober heads realize that this will be a load that the EU simply cannot lift, and the EU will collapse.”
The question of Ukraine’s borders should it join the EU was raised on Thursday by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an interview with HirTV. The country’s potential accession to the bloc was not something the European community was prepared for, and this is “a country with Russian soldiers on its territory. Are we going to take them in?” Orban said, as quoted by Hungary Today.
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Also on Thursday, the Hungarian prime minister said in a press conference that he does not believe Ukraine’s membership in the EU is realistic. “Why can’t we establish a strategic partnership to help Ukrainians?” he asked, adding that EU membership is merely “a nice political gesture” which “will not help Ukrainians.” Orban argued that there should be a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict before peace negotiations begin.
