MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Russia and Belarus condemn the actions of Western countries aimed at fomenting the crisis in Ukraine, the Russian and Belarusian foreign ministers said in a joint statement.

"We condemn the actions of the Western states aimed at fomenting and prolonging the Ukrainian crisis," the top diplomats said, according to the joint statement on the countries’ foreign policy priorities published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website on Wednesday.

According to the document, Moscow and Minsk stand for the political and diplomatic settlement of the crisis and "the return of Ukraine to a neutral non-aligned status, its rejection of the Nazi and militaristic state policies."