United States Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, have discussed ways to defuse the Ukraine crisis during their Paris talks in which Mr Kerry made clear Washington still considered Russian actions in Crimea "illegal and illegitimate."
Lavrov reaffirmed Russia positions and her commitment to finding a diplomatic solution in Ukraine but had not agreed to move Russian troops from the Ukraine border.
John Kerry said after his four-hour meeting with the Russian foreign minister that while they differed on events leading to the crisis, both sides recognised the importance of finding a diplomatic solution that meets the needs of the Ukrainian people but no deal was made.
"Both sides made suggestions of ways to de-escalate the security and political situation in and around Ukraine," Mr Kerry told a news conference, adding he raised "strong concerns" with Lavrov about the presence of Russian troops on the Ukraine border, which he said created a climate of fear and intimidation.
"We both made meaningful suggestions as to how that will be achieved ... and I will return to Washington to consult with President Barack Obama on his choices," Kerry said at a news conference in Paris. "We are trying to find a way to defuse this."
The two were seeking to hammer out the framework of a deal to reduce tensions over Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.
The Russian move into Crimea, following the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Russia president in February, has sparked the worst East-West confrontation since the Cold War ended two decades ago.
Mr Kerry added: "In a frank conversation this evening with Foreign Minister Lavrov, I made clear that the United States still considers the Russian actions to be illegal and illegitimate."
No comments:
Post a Comment