Russia has no wish to bring troops to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
“We have no wish to bring our troops to Ukraine, to the territory of
the country that is friendly to us. This contradicts fundamental
interests of Russia,” Lavrov said following the four-party talks in
Geneva between Russia, the United States, European Union and Ukraine.
Russia will not introduce “excessive” armed forces onto the Crimean peninsula, Lavrov said.
“Our armed forces there are not being beefed up. We have a base
there, at which as many naval officers and sailors serve as needed for
its normal functioning. If some reports come that the number of
servicemen grew, this could be related to the fact that most servicemen
of Ukraine’s Black Sea base have chosen Russian citizenship and their
future is to be decided,” Lavrov said.
“I assure you that no excessive armed forces in Crimea or any other
Russian regions, which would contradict Russia’s international
obligations, will occur,” Lavrov said.
