Russian FM: West must set aside geopolitical games, keep in mind Ukraine’s interests

 GENEVA-Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov has called on his Western partners to set aside geopolitical interests in relation to the situation in Ukraine and take into account the interests of the Ukrainian people, according to the Voice of Russia.

 “Those who try to interpret the situation as an act of aggression and threaten us with all sorts of sanctions and boycotts are the same our partners who persistently encouraged political forces close to them to deliver an ultimatum and refuse to negotiate, to ignore concerns of southern and eastern parts of Ukraine and as result it led to the polarization of Ukrainians,” Lavrov said.

“We urge the West to show a responsible approach and set aside geopolitical interests and put in the highest consideration the interests of the Ukrainian people,” he added, speaking at the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

According to Lavrov, it’s necessary to bring into effect the terms of the agreements signed on February 21, including a Constitution reform which will be debated by all the Ukrainian regions and then put to a universal referendum.

Lavrov also said that Russia is against the use of human rights as a pretext for intervention with the purpose of a regime change, in Ukraine.

“Human rights is too serious an issue to use it in geopolitical games, for forcing your will on others, let alone operations to change regimes. The available experience shows that intervention under the pretext of defending the civilian population, which in reality leads to a change of regime, produces the opposite result and increases the suffering of civilians, depriving them of their right to life, which is a basic human right,” Lavrov clarified.

Medvedev: Ukraine remains Russia’s important partner

Meanwhile in Moscow, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote on the Twitter micro blog on Monday that Ukraine remains Russia’s very important partner.

 “There are obligations, which were signed earlier and which should be carried out,” the Russian premier said.

H.M