MOSCOW, August 26 (RIA Novosti) – All accusations of Russia’s attempts to escalate the crisis in Ukraine, circulating in Western media, are blatant lies and a part of an information war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
“Unfortunately, mass media continue to spread rumors, distorted information and even outright lies. Recently there were claims by Ukraine that its artillery destroyed an armored column that had allegedly crossed from Russia into Ukraine, and two British newspapers even said they witnessed the incursion. No evidence, however, was presented, and even the US State Department could not confirm the incident. We view all such stories as part of an information war,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Beyond the Headlines, which will be published in The Daily Telegraph.
Lavrov’s comments come in response to the recent announcement by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, suggesting Ukrainian artillery destroyed Russian military hardware that had allegedly entered the country. Shortly before that, a number of Western news agencies reported that a convoy of military vehicles with Russian license plates had crossed into Ukraine.
In his interview Russia's top diplomat once again stressed that Russia is calling for peace and unity in Ukraine.
“Our stand is crystal clear – we want peace in Ukraine which can only be attained through broad national dialogue in which all regions and all political forces of the country must participate,” Lavrov stressed.
