Artemenko says his trips to Moscow agreed with SBU leaders

12:50, 27.02.2017 1 min read

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy Andriy Artemenko has said all his trips to Moscow, Russia were agreed with Ukraine's SBU Security Service.

"I confirm that I was in Moscow. All my trips to Moscow were agreed with SBU leaders," Artemenko said during a press conference in Kyiv on Monday. The deputy said he did not discuss his so-called plan with representatives of the Russian Federation or with members of the Opposition Bloc faction in Ukraine's parliament. He also denied ever meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin's assistant Vladislav Surkov.

As earlier reported by the New York City-based daily newspaper The New York Times, Artemenko presented his plan for ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the U.S. presidential administration. Under the plan, a referendum would be held on the question of leasing Ukraine's Crimea peninsula to the Russian Federation from 50 to 100 years, as well as the withdrawal of Russian occupation forces in eastern Ukraine.

According to Artemenko, advisors to Russia's president with whom he met supported his plan.