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Kiev fans tensions, uses heavy weapons against Donetsk, Lugansk — Lavrov

Kiev is merely simulating negotiations, the Russian Foreign Minister noted

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to help obtain consent from the Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic to convening a meeting of the Contact Group, as follows from a statement by the French Foreign Ministry after a telephone conversation between Le Drian and Lavrov.

Le Drian argued that such a meeting would be crucial to achieving a ceasefire on the engagement line and asked Lavrov to help persuade Donetsk and Lugansk representatives, which currently refused to negotiate, to change their mind.

Lavrov replied that Kiev was intentionally building up tensions in the region and stepping up the bombardments of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics with heavy weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Lavrov told his French counterpart that Kiev, acting with total connivance on the part of the Western partners, including two Normandy Quartet members - Paris and Berlin - is merely simulating negotiations and intentionally fanning tensions in the region by continuing massive bombardments of the territories of the DPR and LPR with heavy weapons outlawed by the Minsk agreements."

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Sergey Lavrov Russian Foreign Ministry Eastern Ukraine

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