LONDON, March 14 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry began talks in London on Friday aimed at resolving the ongoing political crisis in Ukraine.
The talks are being held behind closed doors at the US Embassy in the British capital.
“I am satisfied that we can meet today. The situation is complex, many events have happened and much time has been lost,” Lavrov said before the talks, while Kerry expressed hope that the two sides would be able to find a solution to the Ukrainian crisis with just two days left until a referendum in Crimea.
Russia and the West have reached a standoff over the fate of Crimea, an autonomous Ukrainian region with a narrow ethnic Russian majority that has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new central government in Kiev following last month’s revolution.
The Crimean parliament declared independence Tuesday ahead of a popular vote Sunday on seceding from Ukraine and becoming part of Russia.
Authorities in Kiev and international leaders have condemned the referendum as illegitimate and accused Moscow of fomenting unrest in order to annex Crimea.
Kerry reiterated Thursday that Russia could face a tough response from the United States and Europe if it refuses to back down over its annexation plans.
