Kiev’s unilateral demarcation of Ukrainian-Russian border not legitimate

© RIA Novosti, Grigoriy Vasilenko

11:42 17/06/2014

MOSCOW, June 17 (RAPSI) - Alexei Pushkov, Head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, pointed out that border demarcation could not be unilateral and the border marked by Kiev would not be legitimate.

“In case Kiev doesn’t know this, there is no such thing as unilateral demarcation. It is a cooperative action. The border as marked by Kiev cannot be legitimate,” Pushkov wrote on Twitter.

It had been reported that the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council resolved to demarcate the border with Russia unilaterally. Council secretary, Andriy Parubiy, said at a briefing yesterday that this would involve construction of the necessary facilities and a one-sided demarcation not only in the areas affected by the ongoing military operation but also along the entire Russian-Ukrainian border. Parubiy specified that the border would be secured at the expense of the government while President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko insisted on completing the process as soon as possible.

Since mid-April, Kiev has been carrying out a special military operation to suppress the rebellion of independence supporters in eastern Ukraine that did not recognize the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian officials that came to power as a result of the February coup. Slavyansk in the north of the Donetsk Region, neighboring Kramatorsk and Mariupol to the south, have been affected by the clashes the most. Moscow has called the action that has caused numerous deaths on both sides, including civilians, punitive and has urged Kiev to stop the operations immediately.