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Ukrainian FM calls Lavrov to blame Russia for tensions in southeast of Ukraine

MOSCOW, April 12 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s acting Foreign Minister Andrei Deshchitsa called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, April 12, and “tried to blame Russia for the deteriorating situation in the south and southeast of Ukraine” claiming that “some Russian agents are acting in these regions and several of them have allegedly been arrested”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“Lavrov said there were no grounds to make such statements and recalled that Washington was making similar complaints about Russia but we have not been given any concrete facts,” the ministry said.

The Russian minister stressed that “the present Kiev authorities bear responsibility for avoiding the use of force in the south and southeast of Ukraine” and “pointed out to Deshchitsa that Kiev’s constant threats to start storming the buildings occupied by protesters in Donetsk and Lugansk are unacceptable”.

“In reply to Deshchitsa’s question about prospects for holding a four-party meeting between Russia, the United States, the European Union, and Ukraine, the Russian minister noted that the preparation of the event in terms of both its substance and format and time continued to be discussed between Moscow and Washington,” the ministry said.

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