You're reading: Lavrov says Ukrainian abandonment of non-aligned status escalates confrontation

MOSCOW - The Ukrainian decision to abandon its non-aligned status is counterproductive and escalates tensions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“This is a counterproductive [move] which escalates confrontations and creates an illusion that a profound domestic crisis in Ukraine can be settled by the adoption of such laws,” Lavrov told reporters on Dec. 23 responding to a question from Interfax.