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Lavrov calls Western reaction to Ukraine’s Association Agreement backtracking hysteria

This is Ukraine’s sovereign choice - to sign or not to sign the agreement, official says

© ITAR-TASS/EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV

KIEV, December 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov named the West’s reaction to Ukraine’s refusal to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union as hysteria.

“The situation is related to the hysteria when Ukraine decided not to sign the Association Agreement that Ukrainian experts considered disadvantageous,” the Russian minister said on the sidelines of the OSCE ministerial meeting on Thursday.

“We’re forming our position easily: this is Ukraine’s sovereign choice - to sign the agreement or not,” he said, adding “Depending on what choice Ukraine will make we’ll assess the consequences and draw conclusions.”

“What the West said - if all statements are scraped off emotions - the West said it was Ukraine’s sovereign right to sign the agreement. Smell the difference?” the minister said.

“Mildly speaking, it’s surprising to cry you’ve joined our economic structure and we back peace protests against such decision,” Lavrov said.

Answering a question to comment on the internal situation in Ukraine, Lavrov said: “This is Ukraine’s sovereign right. We come against any unauthorised actions, which would violate the existing legislation. We uphold steps towards restoring constitutional order in the country.

Tags

Ukraine crisis Foreign policy

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