Russia sees ‘progress’ in Ukraine pre-summit talks
The Russian foreign minister says Moscow sees “progress” in negotiations held ahead of a four-way Ukraine peace summit.
"Experts are working, there is noticeable progress," Sergei Lavrov told reporters after talks with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, in the Russian capital, Moscow, on Wednesday.
The remarks came one day after a meeting between the Contact Group - comprised of the representatives of the Ukrainian government, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - and the representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics in eastern Ukraine.
Leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany are also set to hold talks in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk later on Wednesday to hammer out a peace agreement after months of conflict in the eastern European country.
Lavrov further criticized the Kiev government for its "unrealistic" demand to take full control of its border with the Russian Federation as a precondition to any agreement for the settlement of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine’s restive region.
The top Russian diplomat further noted that any accord on ending the conflict in Ukraine must protect the rights of all citizens living in the former Soviet state.
The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations to silence protests there in mid-April 2014.
Violence intensified in May last year after the two flashpoint regions held local referendums in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation.
The fighting has left over 5,300 people dead and more than 12,200 wounded, according to the UN.
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