Lavrov: We cannot lose Ukraine

He said that Russia would support all efforts designed to implement the agreements, including those reached in Minsk that are already being implemented

© EPA/YVES HERMAN/POOL

Ukraine is the closest fraternal nation for Russia with which it has "common historical, cultural and civilization roots, the same world outlook as well as language and literature, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Russia's NTV television channel.

"We cannot lose Ukraine because it is not confined to a group of persons who committed a state coup and seized power; it is not confined to the Nazis who continue marching in Kiev and other big cities committing acts of vandalism, destroying monuments and glorifying Hitler's accomplices," Lavrov said. "Ukraine is the closest to us, fraternal nation, with which we share common historical, cultural and civilization roots, the same world outlook, let along the language and literature."

"What's happening in relations between our presidents proves that we are going to find the way out of the crisis anyway and will help the Ukrainian brothers to agree on how they should build and develop their country," he stressed. "We will support all efforts geared to implement the agreements, including those reached in Minsk that are already being implemented, and those that were reached with participation of Russia, the United States and the European Union in April in Geneva, where the Ukrainians undertook a commitment to immediately start a nationwide comprehensive, open and accountable dialogue on the constitutional reform that is supposed to involve representatives of all regions and political forces in Ukraine."

"For some reasons beyond our control, this commitment has never been implemented," Lavrov noted. "The Minsk agreements whose implementation has already got under way contain confirmation for the start of a national dialogue, which will hopefully begin at the subsequent stages of the Minsk documents.