×
Enjoying ad-free content?
Since July 1, 2024, we have disabled all ads to improve your reading experience.
This commitment costs us $10,000 a month. Your support can help us fill the gap.
Support us
Our journalism is banned in Russia. We need your help to keep providing you with the truth.

Russia to Bring Ukrainian Government and Rebels to Negotiating Table

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin attend a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin has said the Kiev government needs help to establish a dialogue with pro-Russian activists in southeastern Ukraine and that steps would soon be taken to bring this about.

"It appears that without external help the Kiev authorities are not capable of establishing such a dialogue," Karasin told Rossiya-24 television on Sunday.

He said a Ukrainian military operation, aimed at retaking rebel-held territory, was in breach of an agreement signed in Geneva last month that was intended to defuse the crisis.

"In the coming days, new efforts will be taken ... to sit the Kiev authorities and representatives of the south-east at the negotiating table," Karasin said.

He gave no further details.

Kiev and Moscow blame each other for unrest in the southern city of Odessa, where at least 42 people were killed on Friday in a street battle between supporters and opponents of Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry agreed in a telephone call on Saturday that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe should play a bigger role in reducing tension.

See also:
2 Dead as Ukraine Forces Try to Retake Slovyansk

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more