Photo:
RIA Novosti
Vladimir Putin held talks behind closed doors with the head of “Ukrainian choice” Viktor Medvedchuk. It is reported by RBC with reference to two sources.
Sources close to the Kremlin said that the Russian President always meets with Medvedchuk during trips to the Crimea. According to sources, during the meeting the sides discussed Ukrainian politics, the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the exchange of prisoners. Neither the representatives of the Kremlin, nor the representatives of Medvedchuk’s not confirmed, nor denied this information.
Medvedchuk headed the administration of former President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma in 2002-2005. The movement “the Ukrainian choice” is Pro-Russian, as it stands for the country’s accession to the Customs Union and the federalization of Ukraine. The daughter of Medvedchuk is Putin’s goddaughter. In Crimea Vladimir Putin arrived on August 18 for three days. The President was accompanied by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine began in spring 2014, after the inhabitants of Donetsk and Lugansk regions refused to recognize the legitimacy of the coup in Kiev. Ukrainian authorities for the suppression of mass popular demonstrations announced the so-called anti-terrorist operation (ATO). According to the United Nations (UN), in the fighting killed about 9.5 thousand people. Kiev has repeatedly accused Moscow of providing financial and military supporting militias breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk national republics (DND and LNR). In the Kremlin deny the charges and claim that Russia is not a party to the conflict.