Russia Advises Ukraine to Become Federal State

A new federal constitution and fresh elections are among suggestions that Russian Foreign Ministry made to Ukraine on Monday.

In a statement posted on its website, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Ukraine's parliament to call a constitutional assembly and draft a new constitution which envisages handling more power to the regions.

Broader autonomy and a "neutral political and military status" should also be maintained according to the official announcement.

The proposals were described in the message as efforts to ease the tensions in Ukraine by diplomatic means.

In its position on the Crimean standoff and the prospects of the autonomous region to join Russia, the Ministry has once again repeated that the situation in Ukraine was not created by Moscow, thus refuting EU's offer to create a contact group between the two countries affected.
The Kremlin maintains that it is not a side in the conflict between Crimea's ethnic Russians and Ukrainians, the latter being backed by a large Tatar population.

However, Russia's Foreign Ministry has now stated that it would accept to take part in a contact group, but under certain conditions that all sides (i.e. Ukrainians and Russians) would agree to adhere to.

Moscow believes that a contact group dealing with the crisis should be aimed at:

- returning to the February 21 agreement between former President Yanukovych and the opposition (which puts an end to the street protests and sets a date for presidential elections);

- establishing Russian language as a second official language in Ukraine;

- creating a federal constitution;

- respecting Crimeans' will expressed through the March 16...