Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said in an interview with Segodnya daily that the return of Crimea through military means is impossible.
“Nobody would take military action against a nuclear state like Russia. I don’t only mean Ukraine,” he said.
At the same time, Klimkin emphasized that the issue of Crimea remains on Ukraine’s agenda and that the peninsula won’t become a bargaining chip.
“There can be no discussions about Crimea, I believe. … Crimea’s annexation won’t ever be recognized. I have spoken to many politicians. I have many partners and friends. I haven’t heard from one of them that Crimea should be recognized. There is no such politician in Europe, in the U.S. … I’ve never heard this in China … I am now fighting for the UN and European Council to get access to Crimea so they can monitor the situation -- this is really critical. We have a sequence of future steps on how to go on working on Crimea,” he said.
Latest from our news desk:
Russian-backed rebels in Donetsk said on October 23 they had banned the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity group from operating in the separatist region in eastern Ukraine for unspecified violation of local laws.
A representative of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying: "I can confirm the decision to strip its (MSF's) accreditation."
MSF director of operations Bart Janssens called the decision disturbing and "vague."
Janssens was quoted by AFP as saying the group was "extremely worried."
"MSF is the largest player in the region and now we will have to stop people's treatment," Janssens told AFP.
According to Ukrainian media reports, MSF representatives mostly worked in Donetsk's tuberculosis hospital and prisons.
The rebels said on October 23 that they had spared the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Czech Republic's People in Need -- two other earlier targets of alleged violations.
MSF and nine other aid organizations were kicked out of the neighboring rebel region of Luhansk late September.
The Luhansk separatists accused MSF of "illegally storing psychotropic medication" that lacked proper registration in either Russia or Ukraine.
MSF denies the allegation.
According to UN figures at least 8,000 people were killed and 18,000 injured in the Ukrainian conflict.
Barring any major developments, that ends the live blogging for today.