May 11 Referendums Should Be Treated As Signals Of Deep Ukraine Statehood Crisis – Moscow

Moscow believes that the May 11 referendums held in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Lugansk regions should be treated a signal confirming the presence of a deep crisis in Ukraine. “The referendums recently held in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine should be perceived as a clear signal to Kiev indicating a deep crisis of mutual understanding, [a crisis] of Ukraine’s own statehood in the broad sense of the word,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following a meeting of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and head of the European Union Delegation to Russia Vygaudas Usackas.

Grigory Karasin described the EU’s continuing sanctions policy in relation to Russia as an outdated, overused approach that fails to help resolve serious political problems, but only serves to further deepen disagreements and hampers the joint search for a way out of the really critical situation in Ukraine,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The issues of Ukraine’s state system should be discussed prior to the presidential elections to be held in the country on May 25, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“Moscow expects that, in accordance with the Geneva agreements of April 17 and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) roadmap given by [Swiss President, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office] Didier Burkhalter, that our EU and US partners will use their influence on the current Kiev authorities so that issues of the state system and respect of the regions’ rights are discussed in the short term, prior to the elections scheduled for May 25,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday, Interfax reports.

Ukraine’s crisis can’t be resolved when Ukrainian gov’t refuses to hold dialogue with regions – Russian FM

The crisis in Ukraine can’t be resolved, while the Ukrainian government refuses to hold a dialogue with citizens of the southeastern regions of the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry says. Grigory Karasin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, met with Head of European Union’s delegation in Russia Vygaudas Ušackas on May 13.

Radicals, army, heavy weapons used in Ukraine to disrupt referendums, says Lavrov

Radicals, army, heavy weapons were used in Ukraine to disrupt referendums, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“The turnout was high despite attempts to disrupt the vote, including attempts to do so using ultra-radical militants, the army and heavy weapons against civilians. There were casualties,” Sergei Lavrov said, commenting on Sunday’s referendums in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions after talks with his Ugandan counterpart Sam Kutesa.

Ukraine’s roadmap prepared by OSCE not unveiled due to positions held by Washington, Kiev – Lavrov

The roadmap for Ukraine, which was prepared by the OSCE chairman, has not been unveiled due to positions held by Washington and Kiev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

“We are convinced that this must be done as soon as possible. It’s a pity that some people in Washington and Kiev are against including [Ukrainian] regions in a dialogue. That’s why, despite our readiness, the roadmap prepared by the OSCE chairman, has not been unveiled,” he said.

This is further proof of Kiev’s failure to “realize the need to engage in dialogue with its own people,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov said he had heard Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia and White House spokesman Jay Carney saying that it was necessary to continue negotiations on Ukraine in the quadripartite format including the United States, the European Union, Russia and Kiev.

The OSCE proposals on Ukraine envisage the launch of a national dialogue along with investigations into crimes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“I am not sure it can be done in the near future, but we believe it is extremely necessary to call for a national dialogue on the basis of the proposals elaborated by the OSCE chairman,” Lavrov said after meeting with his Ugandan counterpart Sam Kutesa in Moscow on Monday.

“This needs to be done simultaneously with investigations into the crimes that have been committed. It is also envisioned by the ‘roadmap,’ which is promoted by the Swiss chairmanship,” the minister said.

“No new meetings on Ukraine have been planned as of yet but we would like the efforts to continue, without slowing down, and shortly materialize into a certain process, because another meeting in the quadripartite format is not quite promising,” Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow on Monday, according to Interfax.

Efforts to settle the Ukrainian crisis will go nowhere without the participation of opponents of the Kiev authorities in the dialogue, Lavrov added, TASS reports.

Russia calls for Ukrainian settlement principles agreed upon in Geneva to be realised in practical actions, Lavrov said.

“All key players agreed that main principles of settlement (in Ukraine) were agreed upon at Geneva talks on April 17 and now it is needed not to recur past events, but translate these principles in practical actions that conflicting parties should take,” the Russian top diplomat said.

Voice Of Russia

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