MEP tells Catalunya and Scotland 'not to support a referendum' over Crimea as a political statement

Antonio López-Istúriz, secretary-general for the PP at European Parliamentary level, says if votes over whether the Crimea peninsula should remain in Ukraine or be handed over to Russia are invited internationally, the Ukrainians should be allowed to keep it.

And given the independence bids currently dividing the regions of Catalunya, north-eastern Spain and Scotland, UK, López-Istúriz has urged those who live in both not to support any plans for a referendum over Crimea's sovereignty as a political statement about their own secession desires.

"The Russians are not exactly great friends of - in the past, they have not been - respecting minority groups," the MEP believes.

"I recommend that the territorial integrity of Ukraine be respected, since it is a democratic State which does indeed respect minority groups, and I still have enormous respect for the situation in Crimea.

"This said, the possibility of a referendum has in fact been considered in Crimea due to the threat of Russian troops entering the peninsula - until this was mentioned, not even the Crimean Parliament had discussed a referendum.

"Crimea has asked for more autonomy, yes; but at no point has it expressed a wish for full independence."

The MEP insists that the fall of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich as a result of protests by the opposition 'cannot be interpreted as a coup d'état'.

"Most MPs on Yanukovich's party were involved in the end - it was a decision made from inside the Ukrainian Parliament.

"The MPs themselves were behind the transition, which was a peaceful one and nobody has threatened the people of Russia," López-Istúriz reveals.