Lavrov denounces setback in negotiations due to Kiev's change of position

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today denounced a setback in negotiations with Ukraine due to a change in Kiev's stance on the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the conflict-ridden Donbas region, and the possibility of holding military manoeuvres without the authorisation of the guarantor countries. 

"The inability to reach agreements once again characterises Kiev's real intentions and its policy of dragging out and even aborting negotiations by renouncing understandings already reached," Lavrov said in a videotaped statement released by his department on Telegram.  

Lavrov said that on Wednesday the Ukrainian side presented "its draft agreement" that abandons "very important points" agreed at the Istanbul meeting of 29 March, which the Kremlin considers positive. 

"In that document the Ukrainians clearly stated that Ukraine's future security guarantees would not extend to Crimea and Sevastopol. In yesterday's draft that clear statement is absent," he explained. 

"There is an idea that the issues of Crimea and Donbas will be discussed at the meeting of the presidents of Russia and Ukraine. We all remember how (Ukrainian President Volodymir) Zelensky more than once assured that such a meeting is possible only after the cessation of military actions," he stressed. 

Lavrov added: "The idea is obvious, but it is inadmissible". "Surely at the next stage the Ukrainian side will ask for the withdrawal of troops, adding more and more conditions," he added. 

In addition, Kiev also reportedly modified the clause that, as Ukraine accepts the status of neutral, non-nuclear and outside military blocs, any military exercises involving "foreign troops" could only be held with the agreement of "all guarantor countries, including Russia".

According to the head of Russian diplomacy, in the new Ukrainian proposal "this unequivocal point has been modified", as Kiev could now hold exercises "with the agreement of the majority of the guarantor countries, without any reference to Russia". 

"We see in this respect that the regime in Kiev is controlled by Washington and its allies, who are pushing President Volodymir Zelensky to continue military actions," he lamented. 

Despite "all provocations, the Russian delegation will continue the negotiating process, presenting our draft agreement in which our initial key positions and demands are clearly and fully set out", he stressed. 

On Tuesday, Lavrov accused the West of using the "provocation" over the massacre allegedly committed by Russian troops in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, which Moscow considers a "hoax", to torpedo the negotiations. 

Lavrov then called on the West to put pressure on Kiev not to sabotage the negotiations and warned that Moscow will not play "cat and mouse" with Kiev as it did with the Minsk peace accords that ended large-scale fighting in the Donbas in 2015.