Zakhrova: Negotiations with Ukraine are Ongoing

The Russian state news agency "Russia Today" reported that the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakhrova, announced the continuation of communications between the Russian and Ukrainian sides regarding the negotiation process. She added, "Communications are ongoing, and Russia demands Ukraine's recognition of the return of Crimea to Russia and recognition of the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, which the Russian Foreign Ministry considers established facts that Kyiv and other countries must acknowledge." Zakhrova had previously stated the necessity to "respect the legitimate and conscious choice of nations and the right of peoples to self-determination, as stipulated in the United Nations Charter."