HAVANA, April 29. /ITAR-TASS/. The crisis in Ukraine was caused by a coup, which has been supported by the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday at talks with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez.

“We thank our Cuban colleagues for understanding and firm support in connection with the crisis in Ukraine, caused by a coup d’etat that was backed by Western countries,” Lavrov said. “We are speaking for the soonest possible settlement through nationwide dialogue in Ukraine.”

Ukraine has been embraced by turmoil since a coup occurred in the country in February and new people were brought to power amid riots. Russia does not recognize the self-proclaimed Ukrainian authorities, but the West says they are legitimate.

Moscow dismisses sanctions imposed, in defiance of common sense, by the United States and the European Union over the developments in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“We dismiss sanctions in any manifestations, including the ones declared by the United States and the European Union, in defiance of common sense, over the developments in Ukraine,” the Russian minister said. “Attempts to accuse anyone else of one’s own mistakes is the tactics used by weak politicians or politicians who understand it only too well that their geopolitical ambitions have failed and seek to bite somebody else’s head off for that.