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US Denies Involvement in Ukrainian Crisis

© blogs.state.govUS Denies Involvement in Ukrainian Crisis
US Denies Involvement in Ukrainian Crisis - Sputnik International
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US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has denied a recent statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the US “is running the show” in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON, April 24 (RIA Novosti) – US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has denied a recent statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the US “is running the show” in Ukraine.

"I think many of the claims he made in his interview are ludicrous and they're not based in facts of what is happening on the ground," Psaki told reporters when asked to comment on Lavrov’s latest interview, citing specifically his statement about the involvement of the United States in counterterrorist operations in Ukraine.

In an English-language interview with the RT TV channel Wednesday, Lavrov said the visit of US Vice President Joseph Biden to Kiev this week and the subsequent restart of a military operation against protesters is evidence the US is controlling the actions of Ukrainian authorities. “So I don’t have any reasons not to believe that the Americans are running the show in a very close way,” he added.

The Department of State considers illegitimate the calls by Moscow for Kiev to withdraw troops from the southeastern regions of the country. "The actions of the Ukrainian government are a legitimate response by authorities to react to the illegal armed seizure of buildings and a few towns in eastern Ukraine," Psaki stated.

When asked why the United States has protested against the placement of Russian troops on the territory of their own country, she replied that the troops, numbering in the tens of thousands, looked threatening as they were near the Ukrainian border.

Top diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union convened in Geneva last Thursday for talks aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis in eastern Ukraine. The sides agreed on a series of immediate steps aimed at de-escalation of tensions, including the disarmament of irregular militant groups and a wide amnesty for detained protesters.

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