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Deaths of Russian journalists in Ukraine give signal for launching deescalation — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Kiev’s plans to introduce martial law in Donetsk and Luhansk regions will give a free hand to Ukrainian military forces

© ITAR-TASS/Zurab Dzhavakhadze

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BAKU, June 18. /ITAR-TASS/. The deaths of Russia's VGTRK journalists in Ukraine give signal for ceasing fire immediately and launching deescalation in the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“This is one more signal to launch deescalation in Ukraine and start talks on the basis of the agreements reached before,” he stressed.

Russia’s central television VGTRK special correspondent Igor Kornelyuk was heavily wounded in the shelling near the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk and died at hospital later on Tuesday. The fate of sound engineer Anton Voloshin, who worked with Kornelyuk, is unclear yet.

Kiev’s plans to introduce martial law in Donetsk and Luhansk regions will give a free hand to Ukrainian military forces, Lavrov added.

“I hope for common sense of the Verkhovna Rada,” he noted, adding that "nothing can be ruled out as we witnessed quite many demonstrations of aggressiveness by incumbent Ukrainian rulers.”

Ukraine held gas talks in terms of ultimatums without any negotiating culture, Lavrov noted. “They did not behave like Europeans,” he said.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Sergey Lavrov

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