No breakthrough in Russia-Ukraine peace talks as Moscow says Crimea not up for debate

According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia hadn’t noticed anything “really promising” in the proposals Ukraine presented at peace talks on March 29.

The proposal is said to have included a 15-year consultation period on the status of Crimea which was occupied by Russia since 2014.

However, Peskov said it was impossible to discuss Crimea as it was part of Russia, and the Russian constitution precluded discussing the fate of any Russian region with anyone else.

According to Moscow Crimea is a closed chapter.

“Crimea is part of the Russian Federation. According to our constitution, we cannot discuss with anyone the fates of Russian territories, the fates of Russian regions. That is out of the question,” the official said.

Crimea voted to rejoin Russia in 2014, in a disputed referendum, after a violent Western-backed coup in Kiev overthrew the Ukrainian government.

Kiev claims the vote was illegitimate and now refers to Crimea as temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian officials have said that under no circumstances will they drop the claim over the region.

Crimea was part of Russia until 1954, when the Soviet government transferred it to Kiev’s control, while both countries were part of a union state.

-Kyiv Independent/ RT News