MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2021) Russia has returned to Ukraine its protest note concerning Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's trip to Crimea without consideration, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
In mid-August, Lavrov visited the Crimean city of Sudak, where he participated in the Tavrida art festival.
"On August 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry returned without consideration the note of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which contained a protest concerning the trip of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Crimea to take part in the Tavrida art festival," Zakharova said during a briefing.
Moscow made this decision as the note had "unacceptable terminology" calling into question that Crimea belongs to Russia, the spokeswoman specified.
Zakharova said that Kiev should finally understand that Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are parts of Russia and stop attempting to violate Russia's territorial integrity. Moscow will continue to return such diplomatic notes concerning Crimea and other Russian regions, the spokeswoman added.
The bilateral relations between Moscow and Kiev deteriorated in 2014 after Crimea reunited with Russia. The West sided with Ukraine in blaming the crisis on Russia, while Moscow rejected all accusations as baseless.
