Saturday, March 15, 2014

Russia and the US have "no common vision" on the crisis in Ukraine, Russia's foreign minister has said, after talks with his US counterpart.


14 March 2014 (BBC News Europe) Russia and the US have "no common vision" on the crisis in Ukraine, Russia's foreign minister has said, after talks with his US counterpart. However Sergei Lavrov called his London meeting with John Kerry "constructive". Mr Kerry said the US was "deeply concerned" about Russia sending troops to the Ukraine border and in Crimea. Mr Lavrov said Moscow would respect the result of Sunday's referendum in Crimea on whether to join Russia but Mr Kerry said the US would not recognize it. After six hours of talks between the two men, Mr Lavrov told reporters that Russia had no plans to invade south-eastern Ukraine. Russia would "respect the will of the people of Crimea", he said.  Both men described the talks as constructive. But Mr Lavrov's phrase seems to sum up this encounter: "No common vision."
Voters in Crimea - the southern autonomous republic in Ukraine - are to decide on whether to re-join Russia or stay with Kiev. In a separate development, pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian activists clashed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Eyewitnesses say gunfire was heard, and unconfirmed reports suggest there were casualties. This follows Thursday night's violence in Donetsk, also in the east, where at least one person died in fighting between a pro-Russian crowd and supporters of the new government in Kiev.


The two foreign ministers met amid tight security at the US ambassador's residence in London.
Read more at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26583697
 

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