Russia calls on OSCE to condemn "neo-fascist" sentiment in West Ukraine

Voice of Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on democracy watchdog, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, on Wednesday to "decisively condemn" the rise of "nationalist and neo-fascist" sentiment in western Ukraine. In a foreign ministry statement, Lavrov also said the OSCE should condemn attempts by nationalists to ban the Russian language in Ukraine. "Lavrov called on the OSCE to decisively condemn the rise of nationalist and neo-fascist sentiment in the west of the country, (to condemn) calls to ban the Russian language, to turn the Russian-speaking population into 'non-citizens' and to restrict freedom of expression," the ministry said in a statement.

Any forms of assistance to Ukraine, including from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), should be rendered at the request of this country's legitimate authorities and with respect for its sovereignty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier. "It has been emphasized that any forms of assistance, including from the OSCE, should be rendered at a request from the legitimate Ukrainian authorities and with unconditional respect for Ukraine's sovereignty," the Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Lavrov as saying at the meeting in a statement summing up its outcomes.

Moscow is soon going to provide video evidence to the EU and OSCE proving that extremists provoked unrest in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated on its Facebook account. "The Western media prefer not to talk about the riots for what they really were, demonstrations arranged by extremist groups. Perhaps the leaders of the European institutions do not know about the actions of these extremists who were disguised as civilians," the statement reads. "We are most deeply concerned about what is happening in Ukraine. We are startled to hear that some Western countries misinterpret the events, trying to influence the situation," the Ministry said.