The initiative of the Ukrainian deputies to create an inter-factional union to “return to the cultural, political, social field of Ukrainian ethnic territories and ethnic Ukrainians” Kuban gives falsehood and the desire to earn political points. This opinion was expressed in an interview with RT by the head of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev. Earlier, the creation of a new political alliance was announced by the Ukrainian people's deputy Aleksey Goncharenko.

According to Kosachev, the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada are thus trying to answer Moscow’s efforts to protect their citizens abroad. However, he noted that Kiev is trying to pervert this idea and politicize it, intending to show that the Ukrainians in the Kuban allegedly need protection and protection.

“I see in this initiative a desire to create a kind of mirror situation. Russia cares about its compatriots abroad. Ukraine is also making attempts. But as a second stage, the theme will be exploited that Ukrainian compatriots need patronage and protection. But this is hypocrisy and an attempt to politicize this issue, ”said Kosachev.

The senator noted that Russia is a country with great experience in preserving cultural traditions and characteristics, and the rights of any ethnic groups are respected on its territory.

“If Ukraine took the example of Russia to follow, many problems would be solved much easier. Kiev’s harsh nationalist policy gives rise to all the problems that Ukraine faces in its development. Russia has always been a place of comfortable living for any nationality, including the Ukrainian, ”said the representative of the Federation Council.

In turn, the State Duma deputy from Crimea Ruslan Balbek called hopeless attempts "to send political emissaries to the Kuban." In addition, he called on deputies of the Verkhovna Rada to "think about cooperation." “Such steps will no doubt be received with warmth. It’s useless to force us to impose anything, ”said Balbek RT.

  • Collecting apples in the fields, Krasnodar Territory
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"Kuban" in the Rada

Earlier, a parliamentarian from the party of the former president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko “European Solidarity” Alexey Goncharenko announced the creation of the Kuban interfactional union. The newly formed alliance of Ukrainian people's deputies set themselves the task of "developing a policy to return to the cultural, political, social field of Ukrainian ethnic territories and ethnic Ukrainians."

“First of all, let’s take care of the Kuban. But other regions in which Ukrainians live compactly will also be under our attention, ”Goncharenko wrote on Facebook.

He also expressed gratitude to 12 of his colleagues who chose him as the head of the Kuban inter-factional association. It should be noted that it included seven deputies from European Solidarity, two deputies from the Golos party Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, two representatives of the For the Future group, and one non-faction deputy.

In addition, Goncharenko addressed the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmitry Razumkov. The deputy asked the head of parliament to announce at the plenary session the creation of the Kuban association.

Goncharenko gloves and textbooks for Omelyan

We add that Alexey Goncharenko is known for his anti-Russian performances. So, in October 2018, during a debate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), he put on big green rubber gloves and said that he was thus preparing for the return of the Russian delegation to the body.

In response to this, the chairman of the assembly, Liliane Mori Pascie, made a remark to the Ukrainian deputy, reminding Goncharenko that he was "not on the stage."

At the same time, back in 2017, Vladimir Omelyan, who was then the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, demanded that Russia return the "captured" Kuban.

“I think that we will restore air communication with Russia only after the return of Crimea, eastern Ukraine and, I hope, the Kuban and other Ukrainian territories that were captured by Russia at the time,” he said in May 2017.

In response to this, the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory Veniamin Kondratyev called not to tease the Cossacks, who always defended the Kuban as part of Russian land.

“We are ready to send a batch of history and geography textbooks to Minister Omelyan to fill the knowledge gap,” the head of the Russian region said.