MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) — Russian Envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said Friday that unlike the United States, Moscow is directly interested in settling the Ukrainian crisis.
"Russia as a country that has numerous ties with Ukraine, with the Ukrainian people, obviously, is not less but more interested than others in settling [the crisis in Ukraine], I would say," Chizhov said during a live internet conference between Moscow and Brussels.
Chizhov added that "Ukraine may be a platform for geopolitical games for the Americans, but for Russia this is completely different."Kiev has been conducting a special military operation aimed at suppressing the independence movement in eastern Ukraine since mid-April. The fighting intensified after Donetsk and Luhansk regions proclaimed themselves independent people’s republics in May.
According to the latest UN report, the conflict has claimed the lives of 1,129 civilians since mid-April, with another 3,442 injured.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that the Kiev government intensified military operations against its own people after getting support from Western countries.
Washington said it planned to give Kiev $7 million in aid, and possibly provide more funds in business development schemes. The US government was still undecided on whether to favor Ukraine’s request for lethal weapons to fight what they claim to be Russian-backed "separatists," US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said Monday.
Moscow has denied supporting militia forces in turbulent Ukrainian regions in the southeast of the country. Moscow has also repeatedly condemned Kiev’s military campaign against the population in the east of the country and urged for an immediate stop to the punitive operation, advocating a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Moscow also plans to propose the urgent creation of a humanitarian mission for violence-plagued eastern Ukraine to the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organizations.
Russia has participated in several contact group meetings on Ukraine with European partners and OSCE representatives, aiming to find ways to bring the conflicting sides of Ukrainian crisis to the negotiating table.
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