Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk on Thursday called on the Russian administration to begin negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine.
“We are calling on the Russian government to return their military to
their barracks, not to back the illegitimate so-called government of
Crimea, and begin negotiations for peaceful settlement,” Yatseniuk told a
press conference in Brussels.
Yatseniuk called the upcoming referendum on the future of the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea illegitimate. “Crimea has always been and
will be an integral part of Ukraine,” he said.
According to earlier reports, the Supreme Council of Crimea on
Thursday made a decision on the inclusion of the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea in Russia. The referendum on the future of Crimea was rescheduled
to March 16. The voters will choose between joining Russia and staying
an autonomous republic of Ukraine.
