(VOVworld) – Russia has no intention of violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and no one in Russia wants a war with neighbouring Ukraine. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin made the comments during a Sunday political talk show on TV channel Russia 1. He added that what is going on in Ukraine is a tragedy. Russia wants Ukraine to be a prosperous nation. According to Karasin, Russia condemns any statement that arouses hostility and hatred between Russia and Ukraine, and welcomes any forces that want to improve bilateral ties. Russia insists that Ukraine’s territorial integrity issues should be resolved domestically and voluntarily on the basis of respecting each group’s interests, rather than by force.

Pro-Russia demonstrators marched with a huge Russian flag in Simferopol, in the Crimea region of Ukraine. (Photo: New York Times)

The same day, Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev wrote on his facebook page that the current Ukrainian leaders have usurped power. He affirmed that President Victor Yanukovich remains the country’s leader according to Ukraine’s Constitution, adding that Russia wants a strong and stable Ukraine.
Amidst escalating tensions in Ukraine, the international community has called for a political solution to the crisis. German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on the phone with President Vladimir Putin on Sunday about the crisis in Ukraine. President Putin said Moscow has reacted because the security and interests of Russian-speaking communities in Ukraine have been threatened.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry urged concerned parties to respect international law and seek a political solution through dialogue and negotiation.
The US, the UK, and France spoke of Russia’s G8 membership and threatened to block its participation at the G8 Summit in Sochi in June. Germany rejected the possibility of Russia’s exclusion from the group, saying the G8 is the only effective dialogue channel between Russia and the West. NATO called on concerned parties to act with self-restraint while searching for a peaceful solution through dialogue.