Russia accuses West of “protecting” Ukraine at gas talks

(Interfax – Moscow, June 15, 2014) Moscow believes that there may be a third power behind Ukraine’s intransigent position in its talks with Russia over gas.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russian journalists on Sunday [15 June] that the Ukrainian authorities are making use of “impunity because they are being protected by our Western partners, or at least some of them”.

“This impunity is also manifesting itself in the arrogance with which the Ukrainian authorities are behaving, including in respect of the gas talks, rejecting the sensible compromises the Russian side is proposing, which enjoy understanding and support from the EU. We would very much not wish it to be the case that there is some third power behind this arrogant and intransigent position, although we have grounds to believe that that is the case,” the Russian minister said.

“I cannot rid myself of the feeling that the Ukrainians are being advised by someone, with the aim of making their position intransigent on all these issues, or success has gone to their head,” the minister stressed.

“We are alarmed that this impunity is being manifested more and more often,” the minister said, citing the detention on more than one occasion of Russian journalists in Ukraine, as well as the “disgusting attack on the Russian embassy”.

“Similar approaches are also being observed in terms of their dogmatic statements on their intention to sign an agreement on a free trade zone and on association with the European Union definitely on 27 June, despite the promises that were made in terms of the need for all three parties – Russia, Ukraine and the EU – to see how to make sure that the development of Ukraine’s relationship with the EU does not come into conflict with its rights and obligations in the CIS free trade zone,” the minister noted.