Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected a Western proposal for a joint contact group on Ukraine.
“The underlying principle for a contact group as proposed by our Western partners now is that the purpose of this multilateral process is to help organize a direct dialogue between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. It seems to us that this means direct substitution of notions, because it is not the Russian Federation that is to blame for the crisis,” Lavrov told a news conference in London after talks in the British capital with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
“We don’t need any international structure to deal with Russian-Ukrainian relations,” Lavrov said.
“We have never severed our relations. Yes, after what’s happened in Kyiv, when the legitimately elected president was removed from office, we did have some difficulties, but the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has instructed members of government to work on day-to-day issues,” the Russian minister said.
He said the two countries are also maintaining contacts via their foreign ministries.
“Our Ukrainian counterparts may raise any issue they want to raise with us without mediation,” Lavrov said.
He said Moscow had repeatedly warned the European Union that making Ukraine choose between closer relations with the EU and stronger ties with Russia, “as was the case during preparations for signing an association agreement with the European Union,” was a false situation.
