The fears that Russia could take part of Ukraine's eastern territory under control have no grounds, Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said in an interview on CNN on Wednesday.
“No, Russia has no plans to intervene militarily, no plans to invade anybody – not Ukraine, not any other country; or to annex anything,” Chizhov said.
In commenting on the host’s remarks about concerns of Moldovan leaders about the possibility that the breakaway territory of Transdniestria could be joined to Russia, Chizhov replied, “Hysteria is becoming contagious.”
“It’s not Russia’s intention to annex Transdniestria or any other territory in any other place of the world,” he said.
Before asking this question, the host had suggested that Chizhov had access to “so much more independent media” compared to ordinary people in Russia, to which the diplomat replied: “I could argue with you on the degree of objectivity of the Western media on this [the ongoing developments in Ukraine].”
