PRESS RELEASE

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Lavrov Accuses U.S. Ukraine Handler of Sabotaging the Normandy Peace Process in Ukraine

Oct. 31, 2017 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed "regrets" that the U.S. special representative to Ukraine Kurt Volker is undermining the peace process underway by the Normandy Four—Russia, France, Germany, and Ukraine. "Most recently [Volker] was in Kiev," Lavrov said today, according to Sputnik,

"where he made a number of statements, from which it became clear which alternative to our project curators of the Ukrainian authorities were preparing. Mr. Volker said that it was necessary for peacekeepers to occupy the entire Donbas, encircle it, and only then the U.S. will support President Poroshenko in his actions to implement all obligations [of the Minsk agreement], including the announcement of an amnesty, giving Donbas a special status according to [German President] Steinmeier’s formula, and holding elections."

Volker also said that the representatives of the Donbas would be excluded from negotiations about peacekeepers and the peace process, another breach of the Normandy process.