MOSCOW, July 28 (RIA Novosti) – Western countries must demand an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
“Our American partners, together with other UN Security Council members, demand an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. We would like them to show the same persistency and use the same language while demanding a ceasefire in Ukraine, an immediate and unconditional one, and not when southeastern Ukraine’s capitulates,” the minister said.
“An immediate and unconditional ceasefire is needed to save the lives of civilians,” Lavrov said, adding that more and more evidence indicates that the Kiev government uses heavy weaponry against civilians indiscriminately.”
Lavrov earlier Monday reproached the West for its lack of political proposals to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, saying they were merely making demands of Russia and threatening sanctions.
However, the West is not trying to make Kiev fulfill its obligations, including launching an internal dialogue to resolve the country’s conflict, Lavrov said.
Last week, the Human Rights Watch condemned the use of Grad rockets in populated areas in eastern Ukraine during fighting saying this violates the law and may constitute war crimes.
According to the recent UN report, a total of 1,129 civilians have been killed and more than 3,000 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the special operation in mid-April.
Russia has repeatedly condemned Kiev’s actions and urged for an immediate end to the punitive operation, advocating a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the region.
