Klimkin: Ukraine not to break off diplomatic relations with Russia because of elections in Crimea

Holding Russian parliamentary elections on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea, despite their illegality, will not be a reason for severing diplomatic relations with the Kremlin.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said this on their air of ICTV Ukrainian TV channel on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I want to stress that this will not have any direct effect," the Minister said, when asked whether Russian elections in the occupied Crimea will actualize breaking off the diplomatic relations.

Klimkin noted that the diplomatic relations with Russia, which "actually exist in form, not in meaning", were needed to help Ukrainians residing in Russia.

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