Russia: Crimea's status is non-negotiable

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

Crimea's status is not subject to discussion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"As for Crimea, there is nothing to add here, this issue is not subject to any discussion any way," Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia's official news agency TASS.

Peskov's remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: "We will return to the issue of Crimea."

Tillerson went on to say that a sanctions regime imposed on Moscow will not change "until Russia's invasion of Ukraine is resolved and Ukraine’s territorial integrity is returned".

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote.

Russia’s annexation led Western powers, including the U.S., to impose sanctions against Moscow.