Moscow's support for intra-Ukrainian dialogue brings fruit despite U.S. opposition - Lavrov
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Dec 25 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russia's policy in favor of an all-Ukrainian dialogue is producing results despite strong opposition "from across the ocean."
"Now our persistent line towards reminding of the need for an all-Ukrainian dialogue is beginning to bring fruit: both the French and the Germans are already talking about it, and the term 'autonomy' is already being mentioned in Paris. Constant dripping wears away a stone. In this particular instance, we have to work on it against colossal pressure from the ocean on the Kyiv government," he said on the "Night with Vladimir Solovyov" program on Rossiya 1 television channel on Thursday.
Commenting on the recent visits by the Belarusian and Kazakh presidents to Kyiv, Lavrov said this does not mean these countries are opposed to Russia's policy with respect to Ukraine.
"When on the eve of the Moscow summit of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) and the Eurasian Economic Union the presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan popped in Kyiv, the West was gloating, thinking they were making such public gestures specifically to demonstrate their disagreement with Moscow's policies. And how does the West know what the conversation was about?" the Russian minister said.
It is wrong to draw conclusions from just a television picture of events, he said. "Simplicity is worse than theft. We are interested in seeing our friends - in this instance, Kazakhstan and Belarus - helping build a normal process of settling the Ukrainian crisis," Lavrov said.
