Press briefing: afternoon 17 March 2014
The Prime Minister’s Spokesperson (PMS) answered questions on Ukraine and the Prime Minister’s diet.
Ukraine
Asked about new sanctions against 21 individuals from Crimea and Russia, the PMS said the sanctions were part of a range of measures, and were an important statement of the international community’s response to the lack of dialogue between the Ukrainian and Russian authorities. He added that that the government’s clear message was that Russia should seek to de-escalate and that further measures would be taken if Russia were to take further action.
Asked why the government considered the recent Crimean referendum illegal, the PMS said that the referendum was not in accordance with the Ukrainian constitution and added that it had been carried out in the context of a significant Russian military presence in the Crimean peninsula.
Prime Minister’s diet
Asked whether the Prime Minister was on a dairy-free diet, the PMS said that, like many people, the Prime Minister kept an eye on what he ate, but wasn’t too strict about it.