Russia's Lavrov says his country "doesn't do regime change"

Russia's Lavrov says his country "doesn't do regime change"

"Getting together again in the same format, with the opposition to the current Ukrainian regime being absent at the table of negotiations, is unlikely to add anything. It is possible of course, but we shall be going in circles and saying again that everything we have agreed upon must be complied with," Lavrov told reporters.

The Russian foreign minister added that the final success of the dialogue would not be achieved unless Ukraine withdrew its troops from eastern parts of the country, where a military offensive against pro-Russian rebels is ongoing. "Russia is convinced that there is a way to end the crisis, but it is only in a peaceful dialogue... Kiev must withdraw all its troops if it wants a peaceful solution," said Lavrov.

He added that it was clear to everyone that no one except the Ukrainians can solve this problem.

Ukraine will back new talks in Geneva if Russia supports presidential elections on May 25, Ukrainian Acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said on Tuesday.

“If Russia is ready to commit itself to support these elections, and to eliminate this threat, and eliminate its support for the extremist elements in Ukraine, we are ready to have such a round of meetings,” he said.

The Beta news agency is quoting sources with the EU Council of Ministers as saying that "all EU countries are in favor of stopping the fighting in Ukraine and preventing the goings on from turning into a real civil war, and for that reason Berlin's request to organize a new meeting in Geneva was supported."

The meeting would see "Ukraine, Russia, the EU and the United States determine the exact steps for a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis."

The same sources were quoted as pointing out that the new Geneva meeting depends also on the will of Moscow, which has sharpened its position toward the transitional government of Ukraine in particular because of the military offensive in the east of the country and the killing of opponents of Kiev authorities in an arson attack on Friday in Odessa.

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday warned of the danger of "chaos and civil war", and the same warning found its way to some western European newspapers today.