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Lavrov says won’t be surprised if it turns out true Poroshenko offered Donbass to Russia

Lavrov rejected the previous accusations voiced by Poroshenko that Russia had allegedly tried to impose its version of the ‘Steinmeier formula’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko’s alleged proposal to Russian President Vladimir Putin "to take Donbass" is not "his secret," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Kommersant daily, released online on Wednesday, adding that he would not be surprised if this fact had taken place.

"It is not my secret. It was a one-on-one conversation. I will not be surprised if your current guesses will turn out true," Lavrov said when asked whether Poroshenko did offer Putin to "take Donbass."

Lavrov rejected the previous accusations voiced by Poroshenko that Russia had allegedly tried to impose its version of the ‘Steinmeier formula’ at the Berlin summit of the Normandy Four in 2016.

"Frankly speaking, I have known Poroshenko since he was foreign minister. He has always tried to look like a decent man. It did not work. It is just a blatant lie," the Russian foreign minister said.

"Actually, when Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned the ‘Steinmeier formula’ in Berlin (a year later the Paris summit) and offered to do something, Poroshenko began to ‘steer back’ explaining how he had understood it. The Russian president replied to him: ‘Pyotr Alekseevich, why are you fantasizing? Look, Steinmeier is sitting next to us.’ That's what happened," Lavrov said.

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