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While the interests of Russians and Ukrainians appear to coincide, it seems that Ukraine's leadership seeks to undermine this harmony, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
HAMBURG (Sputnik) — The interests of both Russian and Ukrainian people fully coincide, while the only exclusion could be the position of the incumbent Kiev authorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.
"The interests of Russia and Ukraine, the interests of the Russians and the Ukrainians, I am completely sure, I am entirely sure that our interests are in complete accord. Maybe only the interests of the incumbent Ukrainian leadership and of certain Ukraine's political circles are not in accord [with interests of Russians and Ukrainians]," Putin said at a press conference following the G20 summit in Hamburg.
© SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV
The Russian leader added that there was only "commodity" that the Ukrainian government had and was trying to "sell," namely Russophobia.
"They have the only commodity they are successfully selling — this is Russophobia. They are also trying to sell the policy of division of Russia and Ukraine, of separation of the two states' people," Putin said, adding that such situation would eventually come to an end.