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Lavrov calls on US to influence Kiev to stop combat operations in Ukraine’s south-east

MOSCOW, May 30. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a telephone conversation on Friday with US Secretary of State John Kerry and called on the United States to exert influence on the Kiev authorities to make them immediately stop combat operations in Ukraine’s south-eastern regions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, adding that the conversation has been initiated by the US side.

“Bearing in mind that the ongoing punitive operation in Ukraine’s south-eastern regions involves aircraft, armored vehicles and artillery, Sergei Lavrov called on the United States to exert influence on Kiev to make it put an end to the pernicious practice of staking on violence and immediately stop combat operations, to begin direct talks with the south-eastern regions in order to establish a nationwide dialogue with due account of interests of the conflicting parties and all Ukrainian regions in line with the Geneva communique of April 17 and the roadmap of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),” the ministry said.

“The two foreign ministers agreed to continue contacts in order to stop bloodshed and find a way out of the acute political crisis in Ukraine,” the ministry noted.