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Normandy format meeting out of the question in current circumstances - Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister described the assassination of DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko as a provocation aimed at derailing the Minsk agreements

BOCHAROV RUCHEI, September 1. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the Normandy format meeting between the leaders is out of the question in the wake of the murder of DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko.

"In the current situation, it is impossible to talk about the next Normandy format meetings, as many of our European partners want," he told reporters. According to Lavrov, "this is a serious situation that needs to be analyzed." "We are looking into the matter," he added.

Lavrov described the assassination of DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko as a provocation aimed at derailing the Minsk agreements.

"Ukraine’s provocation is obviously aimed at derailing the implementation of the Minsk agreements," he told reporters, adding that the Kiev authorities have failed to comply with the Minsk accords.

DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko was killed in an explosion in downtown Donetsk on Friday. The DPR law enforcement agencies have detained several suspects who confirmed Kiev’s involvement. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) earlier denied any role in the Donetsk blast.