Russian Foreign Ministry: Ukraine’s claims that Russia wants to seize its land untrue

“Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations require that it solves all its problems, including border disputes. They need a border [in the Kerch Strait] for just one reason: to be able to join NATO as soon as possible.”

Russia has rejected allegations by Ukraine that it is attempting to seize part of Ukraine’s territory.

“It’s impossible to seize something that doesn’t exist. No one has ever acknowledged that Russia and Ukraine have a state border in the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov,” the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy Alexander Tolkach told reporters on Thursday.

Earlier, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry First Territorial Department Leonid Osavoliuk accused Russia of “trying to move the existing border in the Kerch Strait and illegally seize part of Ukrainian land”.

Tolkach, for his part, said Ukraine was pressing ahead with the border issue to be able to join NATO.

“Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations require that it solves all its problems, including border disputes. They need a border [in the Kerch Strait] for just one reason: to be able to join NATO as soon as possible,” the Russian diplomat said.