Lavrov: No Ties Between Anti-Russia Sanctions and Ukrainian Crisis

MOSCOW, November 28 (Sputnik) – Western sanctions against Russia have nothing to do with the task of de-escalating the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

“Facts have been shown over and over that the unilateral sanctions imposed against us are illegitimate, undermine the stability of the global economy and have nothing in common with the tasks to de-escalate the Ukrainian crisis,” Lavrov said.

Over the past few months, several rounds of sanctions have been introduced against Russia by the European Union, the United States and their allies over Russia’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis — a claim Moscow has repeatedly denied. The sanctions particularly targeted defense, energy and banking sectors of the Russian economy.

Moscow has stated that the sanctions "threaten international peace and stability" and run counter to the principles of international law.

The crisis in Ukraine escalated in April, when Kiev authorities launched a military operation against independence fighters in eastern Ukraine who refused to recognize new government, which came to power after what they considered to be a coup in February. Following months of bloodshed, a ceasefire agreement was reached by the new Ukrainian government and the local militia on September 5 in Minsk. Since then, both the Ukrainian military and the militia have repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire.