With peace talks underway, senior Russian politician Alexey Pushkov says Moscow remains open to dialogue with EU, but that Crimea will remain Russian.

Ukraine conflict: Russia puts its position to Parliament

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/11970487/n003-0338-enxx.srt

With make or break peace talks on the  conflict in Ukraine underway this week,

a senior Russian politician arrived at  the EU Parliament to put Moscow's position.

To a Parliament, it should be noted,  which only last month condemned

what it said was Russia's aggressive  and expansionist policy towards Ukraine.

Alexey Pushkov is the  Foreign Affairs Committee Chair

of the Lower House  of the Russian parliament, the Duma.

EuroparlTV asked him first  what new he was bringing to the table

given the view of the EU's new foreign  policy chief Federica Mogherini,

that the EU's strategic partnership  with Russia is over.

At this point, it's extremely important  to maintain a dialogue

as even if we heard from Ms Mogherini  that the strategic partnership is over,

Russia is not over  and the EU is not over.

and they are bound to have  some kind of relationship.

We should now escape a possible divide  between Russia and Europe,

a divide that would be irrevocable  and which would start a new Cold War.

is mostly important for finding a quick  answer to what is happening in Ukraine.

And this is exactly what President Putin,

Mrs Merkel and François Hollande  are trying so.

And I am hopeful they will succeed.  -Do you think on Wednesday

that Russia will accept  the Minsk Agreement

as it was signed and agreed in September  last year, including all of the provisions

on the demilitarised area and the withdrawal  of troops and equipment.

I think that what has been discussed  in Kiev and in Moscow with Vladimir Putin

is a modified version  of the Minsk Agreement.

The Minsk Agreement has been challenged  by the developments on the ground,

not only by the insurgents  but also Kiev's actions.

So I think that  the three leaders in Moscow

discussed how to make a new version  of this Minsk Agreement

and how to build some kind of  understanding on the basis of this version.

of the Americans beginning to  send or sell arms to Ukraine?

I think that there is a high probability  that they will do it.

I think it is extremely dangerous, this is how  the Vietnam war started for the US.

First, they sent weapons,  then military advisers,

then troops to protect military advisers,  and then troops to fight the Vietnamese.

So I think it's an extremely dangerous path  which maybe the US doesn't comprehend.

There are a lot of people in the US  who still want to fight everywhere,

two years ago  they wanted to bomb Damascus

now they want to send  armaments to Ukraine.

There are trigger happy people there  like Senator McCain,

I don't think it will serve  European security.

What's your reaction  to the prospect of a new round of sanctions,

particularly with the Russian economy  in the state that it now is?

I think the poor shape of Russia's economy  is slightly overestimated in Europe.

I think Russia has some reserves and it  can go on for some time on those reserves.

I also think that there is  a very deep national cohesion today.

I would say that Russians  are being pressed from the outside

so they tend to be more united  than they used to be before.

Finally, I think that  if the Minsk Agreement works out,

I don't think the sanctions  will be adopted

because in this case, if there is an answer  why adopt the sanctions?

Many people said at the time of the old  Minsk Agreement that it was a tactic

on behalf of President Putin  to buy time

and consolidate increased military gains  on the ground.

The insurgents also accuse Kiev  of trying to use the armistice

to try to regroup their forces  and to re-arm the army.

So I think that these accusations  are flying from all quarters.

But Russia maintains that Donbass area  should be part of Ukraine.

The question is not about this,  we don't question

the territorial integrity of Ukraine  concerning Donbass.

What we think should be done  is for this area to have a status

which is acceptable to residents:  that they have some guarantees,

that their demands are met.  Around 7 million are living there.

We cannot just decide their fate  over their heads.

We have to find a solution  that will be acceptable to them.

If this is done then I think  that Ukraine will remain a united country.

One final thought on the same question.  To those MEPs here in the EP,

who argue that Crimea  should also be returned to Ukraine,

is not something on which  Russia will change its position.