Reports on Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine are ‘utter nonsense’: Kremlin’s spokesman

MOSCOW, Jul 6, 2020, TASS. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied reports saying that Russia could invade Ukraine to gain access to water for Crimea, TASS reported.

“That’s utter nonsense. Much to our regret, this anti-Russian hysteria that is being whipped up in Ukraine in no way helps to resolve the situation in the southeast [of Ukraine],” he told reporters on Monday when asked whether Russia planned to invade southern Ukraine from Crimea to ensure that Crimea can receive water from the Dnieper.

The situation in southeastern Ukraine is still far from being regulated, Peskov said.

“Russia continues to provide humanitarian aid to the population of two self-proclaimed republics (LPR and DPR), and it will continue to do that, because unfortunately, the situation in southeastern Ukraine is still far from being regulated,” he said.

Peskov also told reporters that he was unaware of the possibility of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR) becoming part of Russia.

“As for their practical steps towards becoming part of Russia, I know nothing about it, I don’t have any information,” Peskov said, when asked to comment on media reports on the matter.