You're reading: Deshchytsia: Russia denied presence of its troops in eastern regions at Geneva talks

Russian did not admit the presence of its troops in the eastern regions of Ukraine at four-way talks in Geneva, Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deschytsia has said. 

“We discussed this question, we were struggling, and we had all evidence. However, there was no need to submit this evidence to Mr. [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov, because from the very beginning the Russian side denied this,” he said in Kyiv on Friday, when asked whether the question of the presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine was discussed.

Deschytsia said that the Russian side had previously denied the presence of its troops in the Crimea, but Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that on April 17.