“Let’s be frank. Quite unexpectedly lots of water has passed under the bridges since that time,” he said with a wry laugh.
“We have witnessed a tremendous clash of interests,” he said, “in the heart of Europe, in Ukraine.”
“So in the front of illegitimate armed takeover, armed coup that occurred in Kiev one year ago, Russia took a position — quite understandable one — but very, very frank, very open and very firm.”
“The only thing we want is that our national interests, our sovereign rights and sovereign interests … [are] treated with due respect. And soon as it happens, there will be a time for new renaissance in [our] international relationship.”
–
As war rages in Ukraine, the Russian military has seemed to taunt the rest of Europe with airplanes or boats that skirt — or sometimes violate — national boundaries.
NATO says its members scrambled jets more than 400 times in 2014 — 50% more than the previous year — in response to Russian military aircraft.
“Every time they start to make buzz about Russian jets planes or military planes navigating in international corridors, every time they make that buzz, willingly or unwillingly they forget to mention NATO planes, British planes, and American planes doing the same in the same corridor.”
“So it’s international practice, it’s internationally agreed. It’s internationally observed. And it’s internationally accepted. Let’s remember that.”
