Moscow was perplexed about the decision made by the Ukrainian authorities to ban Moscow mayor Luzhkov from entering Ukraine. Moscow found nothing wrong with Luzkov's calls to start redrawing the Ukrainian map and handing the port city of Sevastopol, Crimea, to Russia.

"Luzhkov has never allowed any unfriendly utterances towards Ukraine. By his practical actions he is actively contributing to the development of relations between the two countries. Luzhkov only expressed an opinion, which by the way agrees with the viewpoint of many Russians who painfully accepted the collapse of the USSR, and which doesn't seem like infringing on the sovereignty of Ukraine," the statement issued by Russia's Foreign Ministry says.

Russian Foreign Ministry has regarded the decision made by the Ukrainian authorities as an "unfriendly step that runs counter to the mutual effort to build up the atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding in the Russian-Ukrainian relations".

Kavkaz Center