Negotiations on Ukraine will continue between Moscow and Washington
The U.S. and Russian diplomats John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov stopped over 'their divergent positions' on Ukraine, after more than four hours of 'intense' negotiations in Paris, but they stated their desire to reach on a diplomatic settlement of the crisis.
The two officials, who know and appreciate each other for a long time, despite the gulf that separates them, have gathered in the evening at the Russian Ambassador's residence, located in a luxurious neighborhood from Paris. They discussed for several hours, after which they had dinner.
"We have expressed divergent positions of the reasons of the Ukrainian crisis," Lavrov said after the talks.
"We agree on the need to find points of agreement in order to reach a diplomatic solution to this crisis," he said at the end of a meeting, describing it as "very constructive".
Lavrov will continue these talks with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius, on Monday morning in Paris. The French minister will leave for Berlin, where he will meet with his German and Polish counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Radoslaw Sikorski.
Russians and Americans had their own specific "plan to achieve a calming of the situation," Lavrov said, repeating that Moscow's priorities are to "ensure that the rights of minorities" and "destructing the irregular and challenging forces" a reference to paramilitary groups, particularly those present in the Maidan in Kiev theater many months to challenge President Viktor Yanukovych dismissed.
The two presidents agreed over the necessity of rapid discussions to over the escalation of tensions and end the dispute between Russia and the West, since the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
The gap between Washington and Moscow remains quite high. Regarding the federal solution, it is rejected withiut reason by Kiev.
"We would like to recommend to Russia to stop giving ultimatums to a sovereign and independent country and focus their attention on the catastrophic situation and over the total absence of juveniles rights, including the Ukrainians," said the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Sunday in a press conference.
