MARIBOR, Slovenia. July 8. (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that he stopped following EU decision on 'black lists' against Russia and advised his European counterparts to follow the implementation of agreements on ceasefire in Ukraine.
"Frankly speaking I stopped following what agreement are being taken in the European Union, what terms are set for the consideration of yet other black, grey or any other color lists. We are interested in the need to urgently stop bloodshed," Lavrov told a news conference in Slovenia on Tuesday.
Lavrov was commenting on reports claiming that the European Union's "black list" of Russian citizens targeted by sanctions could be extended within days.
"I hope that during the European Union's upcoming ministerial and other meetings, including summits, Europe will after all insistently seek the implementation of the agreements reached in Berlin on July 2. Perhaps by saying this I am risking to draw sanctions. Nothing doing. The truth is more important than that," Lavrov said.
Lavrov said he was surprised to hear Kyiv's official statements linking truce to the militia's acceptance of the peace plan, proposed by President Petro Poroshenko.
"Hearing statements by the Ukrainian leadership that truce is only possible if the militia accepts Poroshenko peace plan - in other words, if the militia capitulates with the hope of being amnestied - is so discouraging and so counterproductive to any chance of achieving the truce that, I hope, the European colleagues will become concerned about this in the first place," Lavrov said.
"The four-party statement by the Russian, French, German and Ukrainian foreign ministers says in clear terms that we are urging an immediate and unconditional bilateral ceasefire," Lavrov said.
"It carries no condition of any sort of capitulation by the militia and it was signed by Ukraine together with us," the Russian foreign minister said.