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No agreement in Russia-US talks over Ukraine

Lavrov: "no common vision" between US and Russia.

14.03.2014 - Update : 14.03.2014
No agreement in Russia-US talks over Ukraine

LONDON

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ended their talks Friday in London without an agreement over the Ukraine crisis.

Lavrov said that there was no “common vision” on the Ukraine crisis between Russia and the US.

He added Russia would respect the outcome of the referendum in Crimea, due to take place on Sunday.

Kerry did not voice any threats against Russia, Lavrov said, adding any such measures would be “counterproductive.”

Kerry spoke after Lavrov, and said that the US still considered the referendum in Crimea as “unconstitutional and illegitimate”.

“After much discussion, the foreign minister (Lavrov) made it clear that President Putin is not prepared to make any decision regarding Ukraine until after the referendum on Sunday," he added.

Russia is carrying out military exercises near Eastern Ukraine. Kerry said that the US found the troop deployment “deeply concerning,” but Lavrov said, “Russia has no plans for a military intrusion in Eastern Ukraine.”

Kerry gave a warning to Russia in his statement to the press, although Lavrov had said that no threats were made to him during their meeting.

“I was clear with Foreign Minister Lavrov that the president has made it clear there will be consequences if Russia does not find a way to change course. And we don't say that as a threat; we say that as a direct consequence of the choices that Russia may or may not choose to make here,” warned Kerry.

Lavrov defended the idea of a referendum on Crimea’s independence, claiming there were precedents in history.

“Everybody realizes how important Crimea is to Russia and what Crimea means to Russians. It means much more than Camora Islands for France or Falkland Islands for Great Britain,” he said.

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