MOSCOW. Dec 30 (Interfax) - Western partners of Russia are seeking to conceal their inability to discipline Kyiv to implement the Minsk agreements behind the procedures of extending anti-Russian sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"I have such an impression that our Western partners are attempting to conceal the full inability to discipline their people under care in Kyiv behind shameful procedures related to the extension of sanctions against Russia," Lavrov said in an interview with the Zvezda television channel.
The minister recalled that the extension of the EU sanctions against Russia has been preceded by the discussion on them upon the Italian initiative.
"An event on which the Italians insisted has recently taken place, its goal was not just shamefully, looking into the ground, tacitly extend sanctions for six months, but to talk and look into each other's eyes. This is such a little example of the exception from the rules," he said.
"I do not know, this is probably some joint responsibility, they have a principle of solidarity there," Lavrov said.
"At the meetings between U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and me, American colleagues said many times that they are not particularly interested in the crisis continuing, and are backing the Minsk agreements and that they are really working with the Verkhovna Rada so that it will endorse something as it regards the Donbas special status," the minister recalled.
"It is certainly difficult for me to doubt the sincerity of the words by U.S. President Obama who, looking into the face of Russian President Putin, is speaking of his readiness to help. Neither them nor the Europeans managed to do so as of yet," he also said.