Kremlin Slams Idea Of 'Returning' Crimea Via Pressure On Russia Amid Pandemic

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday called the idea of former US ambassadors to Ukraine of putting pressure on Russia amid the coronavirus pandemic to "return" Crimea "absurd" and "unrealistic

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th April, 2020) Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday called the idea of former US ambassadors to Ukraine of putting pressure on Russia amid the coronavirus pandemic to "return" Crimea "absurd" and "unrealistic."

Three former ambassadors, Steven Pifer, William B. Taylor, and John E.

Herbst, have said in an op-ed for the NPR broadcaster that the global pandemic presented "an unexpected opportunity" to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and could be used to put pressure on Russia to "return" Crimea.

"Well, the answer is brief � no," Peskov told reporters, when asked if Russia's stance on Ukraine could be changed.

"This point of view is unrealistic, largely even absurd," he added.

Peskov remarked that Russia had no way of "leaving Donbas because it never entered."

"As for Crimea, there is no 'if' and no 'when' there. Crimea is a part of Russia with everything that entails,"� Peskov stressed.