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| Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov |
International Military - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that the West would not allow Ukraine to hold talks with Russia.
Previously, Russia-Ukraine had carried out several stages of negotiations. Lavrov accused the West, led by Britain and the US, of turning Ukraine into an instrument to contain and tire Russia.
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He said in an interview with the public broadcaster Republika Srpska, RTRS, that the West was barring Ukraine from continuing negotiations with Russia, which had accepted Ukraine's proposal two months ago as a basis for developing a resolution.
"They are forcing Ukraine to tighten its stance on Russia," Lavrov said, as quoted by Anadolu Agency. Referring to the economic sanctions in his country, Lavrov argues that the punishments backfire and harm the West more than Russia.
"Russia then turned to its own strength and reliable partner," Lavrov said. He added that his country had previously imported large quantities of agricultural products which had turned it into the world's largest agricultural nation.
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In particular, on the sixth package of sanctions adopted Friday by the European Union and restrictions on the transportation of Russian oil by sea, Lavrov said, the oil market did not follow political wishes and orders.