OREANDA-NEWS. The deputies of Russian State Duma commented on the requirement of four states to Moscow regarding respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and ensuring unhindered access to Ukrainian ports on the Sea of ​​Azov. The joint statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden and Ukraine after Russia returned to Ukraine the warships detained in November 2018.

Pavel Shperov, the member of the State Duma Committee for Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, said: “It's hard for me to say what kind of reaction we can show. So far, these are only words on their part. They have the right to express their own opinions. What can we do?” The politician also noted that Russia has very democratic views in foreign policy, and therefore allows other countries to express their opinions freely.

According to Shperov, these states follow their own understanding of the status of the Crimea. He stated that it differs from the opinion of the Russian side, which corresponds to the view of the people who participated in the referendum on the inclusion of the peninsula in Russia.

“I think that according to a selection of countries and how they behave, their rhetoric and the essence of their statements are understandable, as well as why they united in such a group,” Leonid Kalashnikov, the Chairman of the same State Duma Committee said.

Kalashnikov added that no one restricts the movement of ships, since there are agreements on the use of the Sea of ​​Azov. However, the deputy noted that military vessels fall under another category of regulating passage and inspection in the region.