Russia Says Open to Dialog on Ukraine

(FNA)- Russia said it is open to having an “honest, equal” dialogue with foreign states on the crisis in Ukraine.

“We are open to an honest, equal and objective dialogue with our foreign partners to find a way to help all of Ukraine come out of the crisis,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a recent televised news conference with his Tajik counterpart in the Russian capital, Moscow, press tv reported.

In a statement released on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow will not capitulate to the European Union’s threat of sanctions over the crisis and will retaliate if the restrictions are imposed.

“Russia will not accept such language of sanctions and threats, but in the event of their implementation in practice, they will not be left without a response.”

On February 23, the Ukrainian parliament ousted Viktor Yanukovych and named Oleksandr Turchynov, the legislature’s newly-elected speaker, as interim president.

The ouster followed weeks of unrest that was triggered after Yanukovych refrained from signing the Association Agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia in November 2013.

Local administration of Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region has also called for a referendum on March 16 in order to decide whether the region should join Russia. Russian parliament has issued the green-light to the president to use military forces “to protect Russia’s interests in Crimea”.

Earlier in the day, the Russian foreign minister said the Ukrainian government was taking orders from extremists and denied Moscow had any direct role in the crisis in Crimea.