MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) - The loss of territorial integrity by Ukraine resulted from internal processes in their country, and Russia and its obligations under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum have no relation to this, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in commenting on accusations of Moscow violating this document.
"The loss of territorial integrity by Ukraine has resulted from complicated internal processes, to which Russia and its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum have no relation," the ministry said in a statement published on its website.
"The current 'government" in Kyiv that came to power through an anti-constitutional coup has itself blown up Ukraine's unity and literally ousted a whole region from its composition by its policy, primarily that in relation to ethnic minorities," it said.
"Russia did not take on the obligation at the 1994 OSCE summit in Budapest or on this summit's sidelines to force a part of Ukraine to remain within its composition against the local population's will, and the Budapest Memorandum provisions do not apply to circumstances resulting from internal political or socioeconomic factors," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry pointed out that 97% of Crimean voters supported accession to the Russian Federation in a March 16 referendum monitored by international observers.
"The Russian Federation has strictly adhered to and is adhering to the Budapest Memorandum commitments on respecting Ukraine's sovereignty, including during the months of an internal political standoff in Kyiv, which cannot be said about the policy of Western countries, which openly disregarded this sovereignty during the events on Maidan," it said.
The Foreign Ministry pointed out that, along with the memorandum adopted in Budapest, the leaders of Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States also adopted a joint statement which, among other things, reaffirmed the importance of commitments within the OSCE framework aimed at countering aggressive nationalism and chauvinism.
"It is absolutely obvious that Ukraine has failed to fulfill these obligations and has connived with growth of extremely aggressive nationalism for years, which has ultimately led the Crimean population to resort to self-determination by joining the Russian Federation," it said.