KIEV, July 22 – Moscow Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov on Thursday embarrassed his Ukrainian friend, President Viktor Yanukovych, for the second time this week by openly claiming again that Sevastopl is a Russian city.

Luzhkov, a persona non grata in Ukraine for the two years until Yanukovych lifted the ban on his entry in June, will be visiting Sevastopol on Saturday.

Luzhkov attended Yanukovych’s birthday party in Kiev on July 9, and is expected to meet the Ukrainian president again during his trip to Crimea over the weekend.

“Under any circumstances should we leave Sevastopol and Crimea. This is a permanent position,” Luzhkov said at a grand reception at the mayor’s office in Moscow, Interfax reported.