The Kremlin welcomes half of Ukraine's vow to reintegrate the Donbass and Crimea

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's official spokesperson, has commented on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s declaration that he will reclaim the Donbass and Crimea, reports the news agency Interfax.

“If he meant that he would reintegrate the Donbass out of humanitarian considerations, we are ready to support such a statement. This is, in fact, precisely what we in Moscow hope will happen,” said Peskov.

“In regards to Crimea, we do not comment on claims made on Russian territories,” he added.

On May 25, Petro Poroshenko promised “to bring Crimea and the Donbass back under Ukrainian sovereignty” during a ceremony honoring Ukrainian aviation pilot Nadiya Savchenko who, having been sentenced to 22 years in prison in Russia, was pardoned by Russian President Putin and returned home to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president, in turn, pardoned Russian servicemen Yevgeny Erofeev and Aleksandr Aleksandrov, who were sentenced to 14 years in prison in Ukraine for their military activities in the Donbass. Erofeev and Aleksandrov returned home to Russia on May 25, as well.